The One Who Would Be Queen
by Comrade Buttons
Summary: Zidane is back and everything should be perfect. But what kind of life can a queen and a thief have together? That's the least of Garnet's worries when Zidane receives some tragic news and the odd couple is forced to make a difficult decision.
1. Chapter 1

Zidane had been back from the dead for almost six months, but my heart still raced every time Beatrix came to inform me he'd arrived at the castle.

That day he'd come back, the strangest feeling had come over me. All I wanted was to jump aboard the nearest airship and leave everything behind, with Zidane at my side. These were dangerous desires, I knew. In a weak moment, I might be persuaded to abandon my kingdom – and that was still cause for beheading, even in these peaceful times. Moreover, it went against everything I stood for.

As it was, Zidane came and went at his leisure. When he wasn't in Alexandria, he was touring with Tantalus. Sometimes I wouldn't see him for weeks – but then he'd always make up for it by staying in Alexandria longer. He'd bought a house in Lindblum, but was rarely there. I'd stayed with him only twice there since his return, but the memories lingered heavily on my mind.

I relished the time I got to spend with Zidane. All my worries, all my strife, flew right out the window when he was in the room. Sometimes I had to step back and marvel at how he'd managed to keep such a bright outlook on life after everything we'd been through.

Oh, it wasn't all perfect. There were times Zidane would fall into a silent refrain. Sometimes I would awaken in the middle of the night and he would be gone. I knew I could find him in the garden, staring up at the stars, lost in thought. I had learned quickly that it was best to leave him undisturbed when such a mood came over him. Usually, he was back to normal by the following morning. On rare occasions, the depression lingered for days. When this happened, he'd leave Alexandria, and I knew this was purely for my benefit.

All things considered, I felt very fortunate. Zidane was alive. He loved me. I clung to this knowledge whenever I felt lonely or depressed.

A festival had been planned to celebrate the completion of Alexandria's restoration. It had taken nearly three years, but time moved quickly now that Zidane was back. The people of Alexandria had proven themselves strong, determined and resilient. It made me proud.

The night of the festival, a large banquet took place on the palace grounds – open to any and all. It was quite chaotic, but I knew Steiner and Beatrix had security well in hand.

Most of our friends had come to Alexandria to celebrate with us. Unfortunately, my time was mostly spent conversing with my subjects – for whom this festival was intended – and handing out awards to the builders and engineers who had put forth the most effort in restoring our kingdom to its former glory.

Occasionally, I would catch sight of Zidane in the crowd below, deep in conversation with The Amarant or Freya. Sometimes, he'd wave to where I stood overlooking the party from the wide balcony. Throughout the entire award ceremony, I couldn't stop myself from wishing I could be down there with him, enjoying the party, reminiscing with my friends.

Since the day we parted at the Iifa Tree, my duties to Alexandria had been foremost on my mind. It was all I lived for when I thought Zidane was dead – it was all I had to keep me going.

He never spoke much about what happened after myself and the others fled the Iifa Tree. What little he did share with me was disturbing. I'd nearly fainted when he'd informed me that Kuja had survived the ordeal. Zidane had spent two years nursing the failed genome in the Black Mage Village – the man he'd called his enemy. During that time, Kuja had only grown weaker. The mages had done what they could to prolong his life until the day when he'd finally ordered them to stop.

Zidane had told me Kuja longed to die. Every day had been a struggle to lift the broken tyrant's spirits, to assure him he'd been forgiven (though I still could not forgive Kuja for what he'd done to my family, my country and my friends).

I knew Zidane must have seen himself in his predecessor. Had it not been for Kuja's jealousy of Zidane, it would have been _he_ who was responsible for the destruction of Gaia – and I do not doubt that he would have succeeded. He was stronger than Kuja – he'd proven that at the Iifa Tree. Moreover, it had been Zidane whom everybody had followed. Without him, there would have been no resistance to Kuja's attacks. He had been the key to our survival and, although I hated to admit it, we had Kuja to thank for that.

In the end, Kuja had passed away in his sleep. His body had been buried among those of the black mages, and none had objected to this arrangement, much to Zidane's relief. The mages were eager to forgive, to put the past behind them. It surprised me – and warmed my heart when I thought of it. I knew I would not have been so compassionate. Zidane must have also known this, for he kept Kuja's –and his own – existence hidden from me for more than two years.

Presently, the festival was moving away from the palace and spreading into the streets of Alexandria. Fireworks exploded in the distance, brilliant blooms of color in the sky. The clamor of voices surrounding the castle was dying down slowly, and I was finally able to sit and close my eyes. The night air carried a sharp chill, though it was mid-summer, and I was glad for the warm, plush upholstery of the lounge. I lay back and looked up at the night sky, wondering what Zidane saw when he looked there.

After a few moments, I dozed off and dreamt of the faraway places I longed to see again.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself tucked under a thick blanket, my head resting against something warm. A hand brushed gently across my cheek as I stirred.

Zidane smiled down at me then. "Hello, beautiful."

I rolled onto my side and snuggled into his belly. "Did you have fun tonight?" I mumbled into him.

"It was good seeing everyone," he replied. "I just wish you could've come down for a bit."

I sighed. "So do I. Perhaps we could invite everyone to lunch tomorrow."

Zidane shook his head. "They're already on their way home."

"Oh," I replied, letting my disappointment show.

Zidane brushed back my hair. "They understand," he assured me. "And so do I."

"Thank you," I said. I turned my head the other direction, looked over the water toward Alexandria, and let out a deep sigh.

"What's up?" Zidane asked innocently.

"I just… sometimes I wish things could be different."

Zidane sat me up and put his arm over my shoulder. "You just need a break," he said. "Maybe a vacation would do you some good."

I nodded. "Maybe." But I knew that would only be a temporary solution to my life-long burden of servitude. Inwardly, I scolded myself for complaining, because I knew things could be much worse.

After a moment of silence, I turned to him. "Zidane?"

He looked at me. "Hmm?"

"Do you think you'll ever get tired of this?"

He looked puzzled. "Tired of what?"

"Of staying here with me. I know you'd rather be out in the world, exploring, treasure hunting…"

He put a finger against my lips. "There's no place in the world that could make me happy if I was more than an arm's length from you, Dagger. I thought you'd have figured that out by now."

I smiled. I loved the way he still called me Dagger, rather than Garnet. It made me feel like a real person. I hadn't felt right using my birth name – Sara. My people knew me as Queen Garnet, and my friends knew me as Dagger. Though I was a summoner in my heart, my birth name only brought back sad memories. The only person who insisted on calling me Sara (when she remembered to) was Eiko. Once a year, we made a pilgrimage to pray at the Eidolon wall. In this place, I was always Sara.

Zidane gave my shoulders a tight squeeze, pulling me out of my thoughts. "I love you."

"I love you, too," I said, as the dark thoughts dissipated.

"Dagger… I want to ask you something."

"Yes?"

He chewed his lip a moment. "Would you… marry me?"

I was taken aback. Truly, this was not a question I ever expected him to ask – and for good reason.

My heart sank. "Zidane… you know I can't."

He looked away from me for a moment. Then, "why not?"

"You know why."

"I know," he sighed. "Because I'm just a bumpkin thief, and nobody would accept _King _Zidane on the throne."

"No," I returned quickly. "Because _you _couldn't accept it. We both know that."

"I'd do it for you," he said.

"I know," I whispered. "That's why I think you're the sweetest man I've ever known. But I couldn't let you give everything up for me."

"Shouldn't that be _my_ decision?" he asked.

"Zidane… I know you'd fulfill your duty to Alexandria, and to me. But you wouldn't be happy. Eventually you'd wish you'd never done it. You'd miss the open sky, the freedom…"

"Hang on. Are we talking about me, or you?"

He knew me too well. "It's true," I admitted. "I often long for something more than this. But this has been my destiny since I was a small child. You would willingly bind yourself into servitude, and I can't let you do it."

"Alright," he said at length. "I'll drop it, for now. I just want you to know, if you change your mind, I'll be waiting."

"Thank you, Zidane." I snuggled closer to him and reveled in the feeling of his arms around me. "Thank you for being so patient with me."


	2. Chapter 2

Tantalus was back on tour and Zidane had left three days age to join the troop. The passage of time was gradual, at best, in his absence. At least I was able to stay busy. There was no shortage of work, and I'd let a week's worth of papers pile up on my desk during Zidane's last visit.

I sighed as I began to sort through them, organizing them by date and urgency. Some of them were building permits – appeals to extend roads, add housing and otherwise continue the booming business that construction had been during the restoration. Others were simply invitations to various social events I was obliged to attend in the near future. I sighed as I counted three such affairs happening in the next week.

It still amazed me that, despite everything I had done for Alexandria and for Gaia, people still presumed to insult me publicly. Aristocrats – especially in Treno – could not get enough of the rumors surrounding my relationship with Zidane. The queen and her secret lover, the thief. Still, there was no way to get out of these functions. I would simply have to endure their gossip and rude comments.

Presently, there was a knock on the door. Beatrix entered with a chest-pounding salute before striding vigorously to my desk.

"Queen Garnet."

"Beatrix, how many times do we have to go over this? Just call me Garnet."

Beatrix shook her head. "I am, of course, obliged to obey your highness' request… But it is difficult for one such as I to be so informal."

"I understand. What did you need?"

She reached into a pocket and removed a sealed envelope. "A message from Mister Zidane." Gingerly, she set the letter in my hand and retreated from the room.

I stared at it for a moment before tearing it open and pulling the letter out. Zidane often wrote me when he was on tour. It was one of the few comforts I enjoyed during his absence.

Most of the letter was typical; he liked to let me know he was thinking of me. I smiled as I poured over his sweet nothings. It was the last bit, however, that stood out from the rest.

_I have a surprise for you when I get back to Alexandria. I hope you like it. See you in one week!_

_Love, _

_Zidane_

I held the letter to my heart and closed my eyes as I always did. I liked to picture him scribbling away backstage or between performances.

What could this 'surprise' be? I sighed as I realized I'd have to wait an entire week to find out what it was.

_Wait!_

I checked the envelope – it had been mailed from Treno. Mail took four days to reach Alexandria from Treno. A large smile pulled at the corners of my mouth as my excitement mounted. Zidane would be home in three days.

Presently I stuffed the letter back into its envelope and set it inside the drawer where all of Zidane's letters were stored. I shuffled through the endless sea of papers once again and found the invitations. Pulling out my stationary, I set about RSVP-ing to all of them. I grinned evilly as I penned a note at the bottom of each response – _please allow for myself and a guest to attend._

Finishing the responses, I leaned back in my chair feeling rather pleased with myself. Let them gossip all they liked – Zidane was a permanent fixture in my life, and I would not hide this fact any longer. I was proud to have him at my side, in public or otherwise. A twinge of guilt came over me briefly, as I considered the repercussions such a renegade action might have on those who supported me. I thought of Uncle Cid, Aunt Hilda and Doctor Tot. Would their reputations suffer? I hoped not…

THREE DAYS LATER…

Tantalus had opted to end their tour in Alexandria. They were performing Wish Upon a Star – another of Lord Avon's plays and one of my favorites. It always made me a little sore when Zidane kissed the female actresses on stage, though I know it was only a performance. He'd openly admitted he thought of me each time a play called for such an intimate moment as this – an admission that somewhat soothed my jealousy.

If I focused on the story, there were times I could forget Zidane was on the stage at all. There were only the characters – their turmoil, their tragic romances, their seething vengefulness. It was always a delight to watch a Tantalus performance. I still found it laughable that such a talented band of performers had chosen to use their skills to such wily ends but, as Zidane told it, the group had put thievery long behind them. They had, after all, received a hefty reward for their services in Lindblum and Uncle Cid had been only too happy to pay it.

"…and now, glorious star, I beseech thee…" Ruby's replacement – Emma, I believe her name was – did well in the part of Talia, the young woman whose love had gone abroad to find his fortune and ended up drafted into the military services of a warring kingdom. In the play, she receives news of his death, but refuses to believe it.

"…Grant me this final wish: that upon my entrance to Heaven, or to Hell, I shall be reunited with the one I love. For no greater regret doth burden me than the knowledge of his lonely departure from this world."

Talia holds her dagger up to reflect the moonlight before piercing her own heart with the blade.

The audience rose from their seats with their applause and, I, myself offered a standing ovation to the stunning performance. The curtain fell and, a moment later, was drawn again to allow the entire cast their final bow. Zidane blew a kiss in my direction before retreating to the dressing room. That was my cue.

I slipped through the doors, down the stairs and made my way through the shadow along the stone wall of the courtyard toward the airship. Dressed in civilian clothes and with my face and head covered, nobody recognized me. Blank was waiting for me at the ship and gave me a familiar squeeze on the shoulder as he admitted me.

"How ya been, Dagger?"

"Well," I replied, smiling. I removed my hood then and folded it across my arm. "And yourself?"

"I can't complain," he said. "Full-time performing does seem a little dull after what we went through back in the old days, though."

I held my tongue, not certain it would be appropriate to tell him I felt the stagnation myself. Instead, I forced a laugh. "I could always use more men for my palace guard."

Blank laughed. "Thanks, but no thanks. It doesn't get much more dull than that!"

"Dagger!" Zidane burst into the room and flew toward me, lifting me off my feet in a spinning motion before pulling me into a strong embrace.

"Zidane, you were wonderful!" I praised him.

"Aww." He rubbed the back of his head bashfully.

Suddenly the door burst open and a hoard of screaming fans began pushing their way into the ship. Zidane's eyes went wide as he stepped in front of me. "Blank, get them out of here!"

Cinna came rushing in from another area of the ship to help and, together, the two managed to push the crowd back outside. This time, Blank locked the door.

It took a moment before Zidane let his guard down. He sighed, then turned to me. "Sorry about that."

I lifted an eyebrow. "I couldn't help but notice most of them screaming your name, Zidane."

"Yeah, Zidane gets all the girls," Cinna said – just before Blanks fist came upside his head.

"You idiot!"

"Hey, what's the… Oh, sorry, Zidane." Cinna fled then and Blank followed with an overly casual motion.

I stared after them a moment before turning back to Zidane. "What did Cinna mean?" I asked, trying not to jump to conclusions.

Zidane put on his brightest smile. "Cinna's just jealous because all the girls want me," he said. Then he added, "but they can't have me." He reached for me then, but I stepped away from him.

"Dagger… what's wrong?"

"I want to trust you, Zidane."

"Then trust me," he said, suddenly appearing taller and more masculine. "You know I don't want anybody but you. Did I fight my way halfway across Gaia so I could cheat on you?"

I couldn't keep from smiling then. "I'm sorry, Zidane. I've been… a little edgy lately. Of course I trust you."

The relief in his face was obvious as he gathered me into his arms. "My skirt-chasing days are long over, my love."

"Oh, Zidane."

He tilted my chin up and kissed me passionately then. When our lips finally parted, he pulled away just far enough to focus his eyes on my face. "You're so beautiful," he whispered. "I love coming home to you."

At that, he reached behind my knees and lifted me into his arms. He didn't set me down again until we were safely behind the door of my bedroom – our bedroom, when he was here. In less than a minute, the otherwise spotless room was littered with random articles of clothing.

Zidane touched me with such bittersweet tenderness as he moved inside me. I arched my back as his mouth pressed against mine, and let out a small moan. When I'd reached climax, he soon followed.

With a gasping breath, he collapsed beside me, pulling me into his arms tightly. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you, Dagger."

"I love you, Zidane."


	3. Chapter 3

*****Hello, everyone. You may have noticed the last bit of chapter 1 didn't quite fit… that's because it wasn't supposed to be there. I'm not sure why I pasted that bit in there, but it actually belongs to chapter 3 below. I have fixed chapter 1, if any of you are inclined to read it again to see where it REALLY ends. I apologize for the mix-up; that was sloppy editing on my part. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story without encountering any other errors. Thank you.*****

We lay awake that night, Zidane and I, bathing in the moonlight flooding through the tall windows. A gentle summer breeze made the curtains dance there.

Suddenly Zidane's head came up. "Oh, yeah!" he exclaimed. "I almost forgot your surprise."

I smiled in anticipation. "I'm waiting."

"Well it's not a thing so much as it is an announcement." Suddenly his expression darkened. "I went ahead and signed the contract, so it's official. I hope you're okay with that."

My eyebrows pulled together. "Zidane… what contract?" My first thought was that he'd had a marriage contract drawn up behind my back. All at once I was furious with him.

"My employment contract," he replied, sensing my unrest. "At Ruby's theater."

I could've laughed, the relief was so great. "But what about Tantalus?"

"They can survive without me. Marcus has been a grouch ever since I came back, anyway. Now he can be in the spotlight again, and I can bring a little class to Alexandria's theatrical scene."

"Zidane, I don't know what to say."

He grinned. "I did it so I could stay in Alexandria all the time. Aren't you happy?"

"I'm… elated," I stammered. "But is this what _you _want? Won't you miss the travel?"

He shrugged. "I miss _you_ more. I hate going away."

I threw my arms around his neck then and kissed him. "As long as you don't feel like you're giving anything up, I'm fine with it."

"I was hoping you'd be more than 'fine' with it…"

I laughed. "I'm speechless with glee. Is that better?"

"Yeah," he said, kissing my nose playfully. "That's better."

The next morning, we shared breakfast in the dining room. Leaving the head of the table vacant, I took a seat across from Zidane. Quina and the kitchen staff had prepared crepes with a creamed fruit topping. The meal was delicious.

After eating, we took a walk through the gardens. Zidane was unusually quiet, I noticed. I took the opportunity to start a conversation.

"I've been thinking about what you said. Maybe I do need a vacation."

He smiled warmly at me. "Where will you go?"

"Nowhere I can't take you with me. I had thought of Treno, but it's so…"

"So full of snobs?" Zidane offered.

"Right," I agreed. "But I was thinking of going somewhere a little more rustic and out of the way. City life grates on you after a while."

"You can say that again," Zidane murmured. He caught his slip too late.

"Zidane, if you aren't happy here…"

"That's not what I meant," he assured me. "Alexandria is small potatoes compared to Lindblum, where I grew up. Don't get me wrong – it's a great city. Hell, it's home. But sometimes, it's just nice to get away."

I nodded. "Exactly. I thought you might have some suggestions."

"Well, let me think. There's Dali, but…" He read my expression. "Too much bad blood there, maybe. How about Conde Petie?"

"I don't think I could handle those dwarves," I admitted, somewhat ashamed of myself for saying so.

Zidane laughed. "I know! What about the Black Mage Village?"

I stopped then and shot him a quizzical look. "Are you sure you're ready to go back there? I mean… after everything that happened."

Zidane shrugged. "I can handle it," he said. "It's so peaceful there, and we never get to see Vivi."

"Or the other genomes," I added coyly.

"I do miss them," he said. "But this is your vacation."

"No, Zidane. It's _our _vacation. We need to pick the destination together."

"Anywhere is fine with me," he insisted, taking my hand.

"You're so sweet, Zidane. But really, I want you to have a good time, too."

He pulled me into a sudden embrace and squeezed me tightly. "I'll have a good time no matter where we go. It's been so long since I've seen you anywhere but here."

He let me go then and I smiled up at him. It was funny to think about the past. How Zidane used to annoy me with his incessant flirting – which I never believed was sincere until it was too late. And how I beat myself up after we said goodbye at the Iifa Tree, for not being with him when I had the chance. I had clutched desperately to the hope that he would return, but as the months and years went by, I'd lost faith. Beatrix assured me the pain of his loss would dissipate with time, and it did… somewhat. But I still thought of him every day and wished things could have been different.

Sometimes I still felt the shock of his return. When he was standing right in front of me, smiling – like he was now – my mind insisted he was merely a dream, that this could not possibly be real.

"Hey, you okay?" The sound of his voice brought me back to reality.

"I'm fine. I got lost in my thoughts for a moment."

"Well, what do you say? Honeymoon at the Black Mage Village?"

I rolled my eyes. "We're not married yet, Zidane."

He stared at me as though I'd said something shocking. I quickly realized I had.

"Yet?" he echoed, inching closer to me. He had that romantic gleam in his eyes again – the one that always made it hard to stay mad at him when he'd done something crazy or insensitive.

"_We're not married, Zidane_," I corrected myself. It was too late. His hands came around mine and his smile was as wide as a crescent moon.

"You said 'yet.' Does that mean you'll marry me?" His voice was so tender, his eyes so mesmerizing, I barely maintained my composure.

Reluctantly, I pulled my hands away and made for one of the stone benches. I sat down and stared at the stonework path for a moment. Then, "Zidane, in my heart, I'm already your wife. There will never be anyone for me but you. But you know it can never be made official."

He sat down beside me, gripping the edge of the bench lightly as he gazed up at the sky, his brow furrowed slightly. "Yeah, I know. Sorry I asked. _Again_."

I turned to him slowly, studying his profile with idolatrous admiration. He met my gaze then and his smile returned. Yet there was something else behind his eyes, something I couldn't identify.

"What are you thinking?" I asked. There had been a time when I might've feared the answer to that question. No longer. Whatever else Zidane was, I doubted there existed a more compassionate soul on Gaia. I loved him – more than I should, perhaps. Or at least, more than my royal station allowed. His happiness was my salvation and I knew the same was true for him.

"I was thinking… something bad." The guilt in his voice was evident.

I reached for his hand. "What do you mean?"

"Selfish thoughts," he added at length.

"Zidane. Tell me what this is about."

His thumb brushed against the back of my hand. "Sometimes I wish you weren't 'Queen Garnet til Alexandros.' Sometimes… I wish you were just my 'Dagger.'"

I scooted closer to him and hugged him gently. "I'll always be your Dagger," I whispered assuredly.

He shook his head. "I have dreams sometimes… In them, you're not the queen. You're free. _We're _free. We can go wherever we want, _do _whatever we want. It's… a nice fantasy."

"Oh, Zidane." I buried my face in his shoulder and felt him plant a sweet kiss on my head. "You don't know how badly I want that to be true. But… I…"

"I know," he said. "You've got duties, responsibilities. And my Dagger never runs away from her responsibilities."

"Zidane?"

"Yeah?"

I hesitated. Then, "do you really want to marry me?"

He was slow to answer. "Only if you want to marry me. I just want you to be happy."

"I am happy," I said. "But I'd be more happy if you were happy."

Zidane laughed. "I can forego marriage," he said, "as long as you'll always be mine."

"That, I can promise."

He kissed me again and only then did I remember to tell him about the engagements I was to be attending within the next few days.

"I told them all I would be bringing a guest… I'd like you to come with me, if you're willing."

Zidane cocked an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I'm no aristocrat. No, no, no… They'll laugh you right out of the party if you show up with me."

"Zidane!" I threw my hands on my hips. "I don't ever want to hear you talk about yourself like that again."

One corner of his mouth pulled up. "But it's true. You know it is."

"Okay," I said. "So you grew up poor. So you took to thievery because you didn't know any better. You're still the most courageous, most giving, most loving person I've ever known. Gaia owes you a lot. If those snobs want to comment about your upbringing, they can be most assured I care nothing of their idle gossip."

Zidane could only stare at me, as if not sure what to make of my sudden outburst.

I softened my posture and looked up at him with absolute resolve in my eyes. "I don't care what they think of you, or what they think of me for loving you. I would be _honored_ to have you as my escort, Zidane."

For a moment, he continued to gape at me. Then he smiled the cocky way he sometimes did and said, "you forgot devilishly handsome."

I burst out laughing then and he joined me. "You're right," I said. "I'm afraid I'll appear a wilting flower next to you."

Zidane rubbed his nose against mine. "Never," he said. "But we do make a cute couple, if I may say so."

"You may indeed," I teased.


	4. Chapter 4

As the Red Rose traveled south, Zidane and I made busy dressing for the last of the parties we were to attend this week. The other two had gone relatively smoothly and we'd made only brief appearances at each of the Lindblum parties.

Once this last event was over, we were on our way to The Black Mage Village to visit the mages and genomes. The thought of seeing Vivi again after so long warmed my heart but, secretly, I wondered how many of the mages had 'stopped' since I'd last been there. Even three years ago they were stopping at a rate that should have emptied the village within a few short months. And yet, I suppose more had been made, and more had been brought to the village since then. It was sad to me that this wonderfully innocent race was on a fast track to extinction. I wished there was something I could do to help them…

Beatrix tugged on my bodice strings, making me wheeze.

"I beg your pardon, Highness!" she blurt out suddenly, working frantically to loosen the gut trap Lindblum's fashionistas had the nerve to call 'undergarments.'

"Beatrix? Is something wrong?" She met my eyes via the long mirror before me.

"No, my queen. It is nothing."

I turned then and put my hands on her muscular shoulders. "Beatrix, when are you going to let me in? In all the time we've known each other, you've refused to let me see even the slightest weakness in you. Why is that?"

"I am the general of the Alexandrian military!" she boasted defensively. "It is unbecoming for me to show weakness before my queen."

"You're also my friend," I said calmly. "Are you not?"

"Of course, Majesty."

"_Garnet_," I insisted. "Or Dagger."

Beatrix sighed then and shook her head. "It is… a personal matter," she muttered quietly.

"You don't have to tell me," I said. "But I'd like it if you felt comfortable enough with me to share this matter."

"Very well," she conceded at last. "As you may already know, Captain Steiner and I have been… involved for some time now."

I smiled. "Yes. I think it's wonderful."

"It has been… very different from what I had imagined it to be. Adelbert… I mean, Captain Steiner has many qualities I never saw in him through all our years of competing for Queen Brahne's favor."

She was perspiring at this point, fidgeting with her fingers. I only continued to gaze understandingly at her – something I had much practice in.

"The truth is… He wants me to marry him."

I grinned widely. "What did you say?"

"I… have not yet given my answer."

"Beatrix… why not?"

"It's not proper for servants of Alexandria to wed one another. It's simply… unheard of."

My eyes narrowed at her. "Yet you say nothing of my affair with Zidane."

"I say nothing that might insult you, my queen. If I have offended…"

"No, you haven't. Speak plainly, Beatrix. What is in your heart? For I trust your judgment better than any other."

"Very well, then. Has Your Highness considered… relinquishing Alexandria's throne?"

I blinked. "Is that a question, or a suggestion?"

She bowed her head, obviously embarrassed. "Perhaps both, Majesty."

I stepped away from her then, and stopped in front of a round port hole that faced north – back toward Alexandria. Though I could not see my kingdom, I recognized the shape of the hills there.

"Beatrix… is such a thing possible?"

"I have heard tales, my queen. The regency of Lindblum has continued for many generations, since the royal family was murdered. There had been a search for any surviving members of the bloodline… but none were ever found."

"A regency, then? But this is different, Beatrix. I'm not in danger, and I haven't been killed. I would be abandoning Alexandria."

"With all due respect… Alexandria was never truly yours to rule in the first place. You do not have Alexandrian blood in your veins."

I bowed my head then. "That's true… Oh Beatrix, if the public ever knew…"

"They would accept you just the same," Beatrix said kindly. "I can assure you of that."

I let out a sigh. "Oh, Beatrix… this is all so confusing. But, we've left your problem behind. I think you should marry Steiner."

"My queen…"

"If that's what you want to do, then I think you should do it. I only wish I had that luxury…"

Beatrix nodded. "Thank you… Garnet. I see now that it was only your favor I needed to make this decision."

"Beatrix, as long as your personal life does not interfere with work, you're free to do as you will. You needn't ask my permission to marry, nor to have a family."

"A family? No… Steiner and I are beyond the age of parenthood. Alexandria is our only child. We nurse and protect it, and will continue to do so until death."

I smiled a little, but it bothered me how lightly Beatrix spoke of death. I knew she must have seen a lot of it in her time – more than I had, even when Kuja was destroying everything in sight.

"Thank you, General Beatrix."

Beatrix snapped her heels together and saluted. "Your Highness."

"Now help me finish getting dressed. Treno isn't far."

Zidane and I entered Treno's great hall and found ourselves cast into a sea of faces – some of which I recognized, and some I would have to _pretend_ I recognized. Zidane looked handsome in the tailored suit and, although I was sure he was uncomfortable in it, he did not let on. He smiled confidently as he escorted me through the room, offering firm handshakes to lords and gentlemanly bows to ladies.

Although nobody would say it to our faces, I could sense the gossip already starting as we made the rounds of introduction. Zidane handled it with an air of nonchalance and I strived to do the same. We danced to two songs, then stepped outside for a breath of air. The sweet, smoky scent of pipe tobacco surrounded us as we walked through a crowd of refined aristocrats. They greeted us with merely a slight nod – all save one.

A younger man, not much older than I, stepped forward and presented himself with a bow.

"Good evening to you, Queen Garnet. And to you, Sir… erm, forgive me."

"Zidane," my escort offered cordially.

"Sir Zidane," the man said, smiling. "I am Lord Jerome Siticus." He took my hand and kissed it lightly while Zidane grit his teeth beside me.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lord Siticus," I said. "We were just about to enjoy a moment of quiet solitude before returning to the party."

"If you'll be so kind," he said, stopping us, "I have a proposition for you."

I tilted my head. "And what might that be?"

"Please," he replied. "Not now. Enjoy the party. But know that I have sent word to Alexandria requesting a formal audience with Your Highness. You will find it, I have no doubt, upon your return."

"Of course," I said warily. "But I am afraid I will not be returning to Alexandria for a week hence. My duties require my presence on the Outer Continent for the next few days."

"Yes, I understand. You'll find I am a patient man, Queen Garnet. I look forward to your favorable reply. Enjoy your evening." With that, he tipped his hat and was gone.

I stared after him briefly before turning to Zidane.

"I don't like the looks of that guy," Zidane whispered.

"I'm not sure what to make of him," I admitted. "I suppose we won't know more until I meet with him."

Zidane's eyes narrowed a bit. "I wonder what he wants…"

"Never mind that now," I said, kissing him lightly on the cheek. "Let's just get through this party so we can have our vacation."

"Right. I just… Promise me you'll have Steiner and Beatrix with you when you meet him. I sense trouble."

I nodded. "I will. And I'll be careful. You needn't worry."

After a moment, we returned to the party. I did not see Lord Siticus again that night.

Zidane led me over to the _hors__ d'oeuvre_ table for a quick snack and, while I waited, I picked up a bit of conversation that angered me.

"_Do you recognize Queen Garnet's escort?"_

"_Why, yes. That young actor from Tantalus. I hear he's quite popular in Lindblum."_

"_What you have not heard may surprise you."_

"_Oh? Do tell."_

"_He is a commoner. A thief, in fact, until the young queen took a liking to him."_

"_My, I never would have guessed!"_

"_Oh, yes. You can be sure that get-up he's wearing was paid for by the queen herself. Frankly, I'm shocked she would be bold enough to appear in public with the likes of him."_

I glanced sidelong at Zidane who wore a smile only I would recognize as forced. So, he'd heard it all. It was all I could do not to avenge him, but what could I say? What could I do? In the end, it was my fault. I'd asked him to come here, knowing the reaction it would get. I realized then how selfish I'd been to do so. It had been little more than an act of rebellion on my part – I had failed to consider Zidane's feelings. If only these people knew how much Zidane had done – how much he'd sacrificed – to save their pathetic little lives… They would be on their knees begging his forgiveness.

I reached out and clutched Zidane's arm firmly. "Let's go."

"Why? Aren't you having a good time?"

I stared at him a moment. He was trying so hard to be a part of my world, and I might as well have made him a public spectacle of ridicule for all I was doing in appreciation of his efforts.

"Zidane… we're leaving. Now."

He set his plate down then and followed me out of the hall. It wasn't until we'd made it halfway through Treno – our armed guards trailing us – that I stopped.

"Zidane," I said, turning to him. "I'm so sorry…"

The false smile fell away and he let his hurt show. "You warned me that might happen," he said. "I was prepared for it."

"You shouldn't have to be. These people don't know how much they owe you."

He shrugged. "It's not our place to change the world. We saved it. Even if only _we_ know it, isn't that enough?"

"Is it enough for _you_?" I asked.

He nodded. "It really is."

"You amaze me, Zidane. Come on. Let's get out of this horrible place."

***Stay tuned for the next chapter. I update regularly. I hope this isn't too gradual for anybody. I get lost in the gooey romance sometimes and like to draw that out. I don't think I'm alone in this… ;) ***


	5. Chapter 5

When we got back to the Red Rose, it felt so good to take off the ridiculous party gown and let my hair down. I changed into my usual gold leotard and brushed my hair smooth, then went to find Zidane.

He was standing out on the rear quarterdeck when I located him, leaning against the railing there with his tail swishing back and forth slowly. He seemed a million miles away in that moment.

Hearing my approach, he turned – and quickly donned a bright smile. But not quickly enough.

"You're not fooling me, Zidane," I muttered morosely.

He toned the grin down to about half-power as he opened his arms for me. Even out here in the wind, he was warm.

"I never _could _fool you," he replied softly. "Maybe someday I'll succeed."

I didn't like the tone in his voice. Something was wrong. Had the party-gossip stung him so badly? Zidane had always seemed so resilient. He'd never given a damn – excuse my language – what anybody thought of him… Unless, of course, that person's opinion meant something to him. I somehow doubted those women in Treno fell under that category in Zidane's mind.

"Why don't you come inside?" I asked.

"I will," he replied. "In a bit. Right now I just need the fresh air."

I pulled away from him and tried to read his expression – to no avail. "Very well," I said at last. "I'm going to get some sleep."

His mouth smiled, but not his eyes. "Sounds good. I'll be in soon."

He didn't kiss me like I'd expected him to. Instead I rose to my tip toes and kissed him… but something was wrong. His lips were tight, thin – totally uncooperative with mine.

When I dropped back to my heels, he immediately turned his back on me again and resumed staring off into the distance. I sighed quietly, then turned to head back into the ship.

As I headed to my cabin, a sick feeling settled in my stomach. This was not like Zidane at all. My mind reached and stretched for an explanation, but nothing fit as well as the simple explanation that his feelings had been hurt – and badly.

With that in mind, I pulled back the bedding and crawled between the fresh white linens. I thought the blame and worry might keep me up all night, but the gentle creaking of the airship lulled me to sleep almost immediately.

I might have assumed Zidane had come to bed and risen early – except that, when I rolled over, I found his side of the bed still neatly made. Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes and looked around the room. Empty.

After a few moments of worrying and contemplating, I swung my feet off the bed and set about getting dressed. When I was ready, I stepped out of my cabin with caution and again went hunting for Zidane.

He was not anywhere on deck, nor at the helm. That left only the crew cabin.

I knocked first, but there was no answer and, so, I let myself in. It was there I found Zidane – sprawled face down and an arm and a leg hanging off the side of a bunk. He was still in his clothes and boots, I noted. For a moment I watched him sleep, hoping he might wake up on his own. He didn't, so I left and had my breakfast alone.

Not having much of an appetite, I managed to nibble away half a slice of toast and sip down a cup of tea. I was pouring myself another when the sound of Zidane's hard-heeled boots approached. I turned in mid-pour, nearly spilling over my cup, and offered him a nervous smile. He did not smile back.

Running a hand through his hair, he sauntered toward me slowly and, without a word, took the seat beside me. For a moment he just stared at the table.

"Hungry?" I asked.

He patted his stomach. "Yeah. I haven't eaten since noon yesterday."

"Help yourself. I'm not going to be able to eat all this."

I sipped my tea in silence while Zidane ate. There was a nervous air about him that, in turn, made _me _nervous. It was all I could do not to demand that he explain himself. In truth, my guilt was the only thing keeping me from doing so.

"Zidane, I really can't apologize enough about the party."

He looked at me, his eyes suddenly wide. "It's not important," he said then. "Please… don't apologize to me."

"But I-"

"Stop!" He slammed his hands down on the table, then sat perfectly still for a moment with his eyes closed. I'd unconsciously flinched away from him and was now forcing myself to straighten. When his eyes opened again, we exchanged a brief glance at one another. Then, without warning, Zidane stood and walked away.

But I was in no mood for being kept in the dark. Something was off here, and it had more to do with us than it did with that damnable party – excuse my language.

I set my cup down on its saucer, blotted my lips with my napkin and leapt after him.

"Zidane, what is going on?" I shouted as I rounded the corner. He stopped walking, but didn't turn to face me just yet. "Tell me why you're acting like this all of a sudden."

"There's nothing wrong, Dagger." His tone was lighter now, but it sounded forced. "I'm going to go get ready. We should be landing in about half an hour."

I let him go this time and spent the next thirty or so minutes in my room repacking my overnight bag. For the remainder of the flight, I sat cross-legged on the bed. Even as the ship descended, I found I'd lost all desire to be away from home.

Finally the captain's voice came over the horn, requesting that I disembark. I slid off the bed, grabbed my bag, and headed for the door. We'd landed just outside the forested canyon surrounding the village and I spotted Zidane some hundred paces out calling for the chocobo he'd trained.

At last the golden bird trotted into view and dipped its head for Zidane to caress it. Despite myself, I felt a tinge of jealousy watching the tender way he handled the chocobo after practically pushing me away the previous night. In a few moments, the bird loped up to me, with Zidane mounted sturdily on its back.

"Hi, Choco," I cooed, stroking the large beak. Zidane reached down with one hand and pulled me aboard. He said nothing as we rose into the forest.

It wasn't long before the silence overwhelmed me and I said the first thing that came to mind. Well, perhaps not the _first _thing.

"I can't wait to see Vivi."

Zidane nodded. "He'll be glad you've come."

"And the genomes," I continued. "I'll be interested to know how they've adapted to village life."

"I think you'll be impressed," Zidane commented back.

Shaking my head minutely, I gave up trying to have a conversation and spent the remainder of the ride lost in dark thoughts.

When, at last, the village was in sight, I was eager to dismount. I slid off the chocobo even before Zidane had reigned him to a halt and rushed toward the village. Vivi was waiting for me and now came running toward me clumsily. He tripped and fell, but quickly pushed himself back up just in time for me to pull him into a warm embrace.

"Vivi! It's so good to see you!"

"Dagger! I missed you."

"I missed you, too," I said. "I'm sorry. I should have visited sooner."

Then his glowing yellow eyes spotted Zidane and he stood suddenly very upright.

"Hello, Zidane."

"Hey, Vivi. What's up?"

Vivi shook his head. "Mikoto's waiting for you at her place. You should go see her."

"Alright," Zidane nodded. "I'll be at Mikoto's place."

I watched him stride past us before turning to Vivi. "The village looks as lively as ever," I noted aloud. Mages and genomes bustled about the place and I noticed several new huts had been built to accommodate the latter.

"Come on," Vivi said softly. "Let's get you checked in at the inn."

I could not help but notice, as Vivi led me through the village, an air of discontent among the villagers. I had expected a warm welcome from the mages, but they seemed to be avoiding me, skirting away as I approached.

"Vivi?" I asked as we stepped up onto the porch outside the inn. "Is there something I should know?"

"I… I don't know what you're talking about."

Vivi was a terrible liar, but I knew I'd never be able to work the information I needed out of him, so I dropped the matter.

I paid the innkeeper for a three-night's stay and took my bag into the room. Despite the mystery swirling about the place, I could not help be lulled into relaxation by the comfortable and quaint surroundings. Vivi had followed me into the room and watched me arrange my things.

Suddenly voices could be heard through the window. I strained my ears to listen.

"I do not understand why you have not told her about this." Mikoto's voice?

"How could I tell her?" Zidane, now. "If she finds out… she'll never speak to me again."

"Then why bring her here? Have you any idea how difficult it will be to hide this?"

"I will tell her," Zidane said. "I just… have to find the right moment."

Vivi suddenly stirred. "I'd better go," he said, quickly making for the door. "See you later, Dagger."

When he was gone, I stood for a moment trying to hear more of the conversation. But it seemed as though they'd moved on.

I didn't know what to feel. Zidane was hiding something from me – something big. I wanted so badly to trust him – to convince myself that, whatever it was, he had good reason to keep it from me. Even so, tears suddenly welled up in my eyes and I threw myself onto the bottom bunk and cried into the pillow for a long time.

_Zidane, how could you lie to me?_


	6. Chapter 6

Eventually I pulled myself together and stepped out into the warm sunlight trickling through the surrounding forest. The air was so clean and sweet here – nothing like air of a big city like Lindblum and still an improvement over Alexandria.

Zidane was nowhere to be found – not that I had any particular desire to search for him at this moment. Instead, I elected to take a stroll through the village to visit the inhabitants and check their progress. And they had progressed. The village had doubled in size since I'd last seen it. There was even a quaint stable and paddock where six well-cared for chocobos grazed. A genome had a younger bird in halter – training it, by the looks of it. I smiled at him and he nodded as I stopped near the fence to feed a handful of grass to the nearest chocobo.

The giant bird had the most soothing eyes I'd ever seen. They looked deep brown from one angle, then almost gray when they hit the sunlight. He (or she) made a gentle cooing noise as I stroked beneath its chin.

"Do you recognize Bobby Corwin?" the genome asked, suddenly standing beside me.

I turned and lifted my eyebrows. "_This _is Bobby Corwin? He's grown so big."

"We just celebrated his third birthday last month. That chick I'm training over there is one of his."

"My, my. So you're a father now, Bobby?"

The chocobo let out a gentle 'kweh' before nudging my with his beak. I turned to the genome chocobo trainer.  
"What's your name?" I asked.

"David. And you're Princess Garnet, right? I remember you from… well, back then."

"I'm flattered, David."

The genome smiled. "You're here with Zidane, right? He used to talk about you so much when he was living here."

I might've blushed, had the situation between Zidane and myself been less up in the air. As it was, I managed a polite nod. "Did he?"

"Yep. All the time. Say, where is he? I thought he'd come see the chocobos. He helped me train Bobby Corwin. That's how I learned to do it."

I took a step back without realizing it. "I'm… I'm not sure where he is at the moment. As a matter of fact, I must take my leave as well. It has been lovely chatting with you, David."

"Alright. Come back soon."

I nodded even as I jogged to put distance between me and the choc obo corral. Something had caught my eye – something I needed to investigate. Further down the path, a small hut stood somewhat off on its own near the tree line. I'd seen a black mage enter it a moment earlier and thought nothing of it. But when he came back out, he'd opened the door slowly and peered around before locking the door and fleeing.

My eyes were now fixed on the hut as I made my way toward it. I stopped then. There were too many people around for me to approach the hut without being noticed. Trying to appear casual, I turned slowly toward the woods and headed in that direction. I made my way through the trees until I could just barely see the village, then followed the curve of the settlement until I thought I must be near the mysterious hut.

Pushing my way back through the branches – and catching one or two in the face – I found myself directly behind the hut of my interest. I paused for a moment and listened. The voices were distant and so I was certain nobody would hear my approach. Tiptoeing, I managed to find a window that faced the woods. I inched closer, trying to make as little noise as possible.

When I did reach the window, however, I realized it was up much too high for me to see inside. I let out a sigh of disappointment, then began slowly circling the hut in search or another means of infiltration. The porch wrapped around nearly to the back and I stepped up onto it cautiously. There was a second window… but I would be partially in sight of anyone who might be looking this direction.

Weighing my options, my curiosity eventually won out, and I edged closer to the window. Standing on tiptoe, I lifted my eyes over the sill and peered into the darkness. At first, I saw nothing. The hut had no lamp, no fire. Then my eyes fell upon something. Fabric, moving fabric.

I squinted, testing the limits of my vision.

The genome stood then and, with soulless eyes, turned toward me. For a moment we stared at each other. Finally I realized the childishness of my skulking around in the woods, and straightened so that I was standing directly in front of the window.

"Hello," I offered gently.

The genome tilted its head slightly. "You… you don't look like me or the others. Who are you?"

I blinked. Surely the genomes – all of them – would remember me. "It's Garnet," I said. "Don't you remember me? We escaped from Terra together. I'm… Zidane's friend."

"I don't know anybody named Zidane," it said, its voice growing more agitated. Suddenly another genome appeared beside it.

"Who is that?" it asked.

"She calls herself Garnet," the other replied. "She claims we have met before. Could she be proof of what the others have told us?"

"We should inform Mikoto at once. This is an intruder."

"Yes, you are right. We must call for Mikoto."

"No, wait!" I called after them. But it was too late.

"You shouldn't be here!"

I spun to find Mikoto running toward the hut. She glared at me, then rushed inside. I followed her to the door, and stood there as she worked to comfort not two – but three – upset genomes.

"I apologize," she said in a gentle tone. "This woman is no danger to you. You mustn't be afraid."

"She said we knew her before," one of them cried. "Why can't I remember?"

"I've explained this already," Mikoto continued. "Your memories are gone but, in time, you will come to know the things you've forgotten."

"If this is what my life is going to be like, I would rather be dead!"

Mikoto turned slowly toward me, her face livid. "You should go. You're only upsetting them."

I stammered something incoherent, then spun and ran as fast as I could away from the hut. By the time I reached the inn, I was out of breath. I sat on the bed, chest heaving, for a moment before the familiar sound of Zidane's footsteps approached. Frantically, I made an attempt to collect myself – and failed.

Zidane appeared in the doorway then, his face as sullen as the last time I'd seen it. I could tell he knew where I'd been and what I'd seen. I wanted answers.

"Zidane… what is going on in this place?"

He sighed and came in the rest of the way, closing the curtains behind him. For a moment he stood, propped against the wall, arms folded across his chest. At length, he said, "we're dying."

My heart seemed to stop momentarily. "Wh-what?"

"The genomes… are dying. Like the black mages, we weren't built to last forever."

"Nobody is built to last forever, Zidane." I hesitated before asking the question I knew had to be answered. "How long do you live for?"

"About twenty-five years."

I sucked in a deep breath and held it. Zidane was twenty-one. "So… four years, then." Was this what he'd been so upset about?

"Actually…"

"Don't say it. Please don't say it."

"…Mikoto says I'm closer to twenty four. Maybe older. I was just another soulless genome on Terra before Garland chose me. I didn't begin to age until I came to Gaia."

Tears stung at my eyes as I let my head fall into my hands. "Zidane…"

He dropped his guard at last and rushed over to me, pulling me close. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just found out myself recently…"

"It's not fair, Zidane. After all you've done, all you've sacrificed. All that just to… to die?"

"Maybe not," he said, a glimmer of hope in his tone. "Those genomes you saw… they've undergone what Mikoto calls a Life Extension procedure. Somehow the genomes and mages were able to team up with the workers in Dali who knew something about how the black mages were created… and came up with a way to extend their lives."

I lifted my head and scanned his face eagerly. "Then you… that's why you wanted to come here?"

He nodded slowly.

"Why didn't you just tell me all this before we left Alexandria? Why hide it?"

"I don't know… I was afraid of how you might react. I'm so sorry. You don't know how hard it was to keep it from you."

"How soon can you have this procedure?"

Zidane rubbed the back of his head. "Well, it's… not that simple. There were some unexpected side-effects from the treatment."

I recalled the genomes in the hut. "Amnesia?"

He nodded. "Three out of four lost their memories."

"What about the fourth subject?"

Zidane swallowed audibly. "He didn't make it."

I shook my head slowly. "Zidane… I don't think I can live without you," I muttered hopelessly.

He squeezed me more tightly. "Don't give up on me yet," he replied quietly. Then his whole posture changed and I could feel him trembling. "I'm scared, Dagger. I'm really scared."

That was the first time I'd ever seen Zidane cry. I held him close to me and rubbed his back comfortingly. Suddenly I found a strength I never knew I possessed. There was no urge to cry, no despair. Only the need to make him feel safe.

"It's going to be fine, Zidane. You're going to be fine."

"I don't want to forget you," he said in a trembling tone.

"I won't forsake you, Zidane. Even if you forget about us, I will never give up on you. I'll find a way to make you remember and, if that fails, then we'll start over. I'll make you fall in love with me all over again."

That made him laugh a little. "That won't be difficult," he said, sniveling. He pulled away then and wiped his eyes dry quickly. I put on my most radiant and assured smile for him then. "Especially not if you look at me like that," he added. "Nobody could say no to that face."

He leaned in and kissed me then. Once again I tasted that bittersweet desperation. This time, I understood it.


	7. Chapter 7

The next two days were torture. I still understood very little about this procedure to extend the lives of the genomes, but Vivi assured me it would be a success. The little black mage remained at my side through every waking moment while Zidane underwent the procedure. His company was the only thing keeping me from having a break down.

Mikoto remained with Zidane and made no effort to keep me posted as to his condition and, I had to admit, that angered me somewhat. Vivi assured me she always stayed close to the genomes undergoing the treatment, but that did little to ease my conscience.

Finally, on the third day, I was brought to the mysterious place where Zidane was being kept. Vivi came with me. We walked a great distance until we came to the mouth of a cavern. Inside I found machinations the like of which I'd never seen anywhere but Terra. So, Mikoto had managed to reconstruct some of the Terran technology.

Several genomes and black mages greeted us further inside the cave which now resembled Terra more than it did a cave on Gaia. Mikoto waited there and motioned for Vivi and I to approach. She stood next to a wide glass wall and, without speaking, turned to look inside. Vivi and I did the same and I gasped at the sight of Zidane lying within a strange machine.

He was unconscious and most of his body appeared entwined with the contraption. I recognized the mist that seemed to be clouding the entire room around him and realized it was coming from the machine.

"What are you doing to him?" I asked, my voice quivering.

"The mist is the very essence of life," Mikoto replied. "We've learned it is not the body that fails us, but the energy source. You would call it the soul."

I shook my head. "You're giving him a new soul?"

She nodded. "That is a very basic explanation, but it is accurate."

I stared through the glass a moment longer before turning away. I felt Vivi's hand close over mine and squeeze it gently. "I have to get out of here," I murmured, suddenly anxious to be out of this cave.

Vivi trotted along beside me as I fled, and we didn't stop until we were well back into the forest. I sat down on a fallen three then and cried. Vivi jumped up and sat beside me. "What's wrong, Dagger?"

"They're not bringing them back," I said between sobs. "They're just recycling their bodies."

Vivi took a moment before responding. "I don't see it that way at all. The mages and genomes were all created this way, given life from the mist."

I had known that about the mages, but had never related that process to Zidane's existence. They were so similar in their construction, it was frightening. Clearly Kuja had taken what he knew of the genomes and used that to construct the black mages. Now Mikoto was using that same knowledge to help her people.

"Have any of the mages had the treatment?" I asked then.

Vivi nodded. "We don't lose our memories the same way, though. I think the genomes' bodies are more complicated than ours."

"Oh, Vivi… What will I do if I lose him?"

Vivi let out a gentle sigh. "We'll all get through it together, if that happens. But you can't give up on him now. Every time Mikoto does the procedure, she makes improvements. Zidane might come back just the way he was. We won't know until they're done."

I nodded. I knew it was a long shot, but I had to keep the faith. Presently, I realized how self-centered I was being. I turned to Vivi and put on a cheerful smile. "Sometimes I forget, I'm not the only one who loves him."

"Zidane has a lot of friends," Vivi agreed. "I don't want to think about losing him now."

I hugged the little mage, then stood up. "I'm going back to the cave. I need to be near him."

Vivi nodded. "I'm coming, too."

It took two more days before Zidane awoke. I had dozed off in a chair near the laboratory and was suddenly awoken by a gentle tap on the shoulder. Vivi stood in front of me then. "He's awake."

I was instantly wide awake. Jumping to my feet, I raced toward the laboratory, only to be stopped by Mikoto at the door.

"Mikoto! How is he? Did he..?"

Mikoto shook her head. "He survived the treatment, but…"

I felt a lump swell in my throat. "Please, just say it."

"…But, I'm afraid it's as we feared. He did not recognize me when I woke him."

I felt my knees wobble, threatening to give out. Mustering all the strength I had left, I then squared my shoulders. "I would like to see him, please."

She nodded, and waved her arm toward the door of a room I hadn't noticed before. I made my way over and opened it slowly, not certain of what to expect.

Zidane lay on a small cot against the wall there, clothed in the strange outfit worn by the genomes back on Terra. He was staring up at the ceiling, but turned at my approach and watched me carefully.

"Zidane?"

"Yes? Do I know you?"

I dropped to my knees then and expressed a deluge of tears. This just couldn't be happening. I'd told myself I'd been prepared for this eventuality, but realized now I never actually expected this. I had convinced myself that Zidane would be different from the others, that he would come out of this treatment no different than he entered it.

I heard him slide off the bed and step barefoot toward me. His hand touched my back and rubbed it gently. For a moment I almost thought his amnesia had been a hoax. This was such a Zidane-like gesture. But when I turned to face him, he flinched away from me slightly. "Why are you crying, Miss?" he asked innocently.

"You don't remember me at all, do you?"

He shook his head slowly. "No. I'm sorry, but I don't."

Gathering myself, I nodded with acceptance. "You will," I said then, looking him square in the face. "I won't give up until you do."

With that, I pushed to my feet and left the room. I thought I heard Mikoto call to me as I rushed out of the cave laboratory, but I wasted no time stopping. It wasn't until I had found my way back to the village that I realized Vivi had been with me all along.

"Are you alright, Dagger?" he asked.

I nodded. "I… I promised him I wouldn't give up on him, even if he lost his memories."

Vivi nodded. "I'll help."

"I need to be alone just now, Vivi… I'm sorry. Please excuse me." I turned and headed back to the inn where I spent several hours consoling myself and formulating a plan.

My thoughts were interrupted suddenly by the sound of tiny feet on the wooden floor. I turned just in time to see the resident moogle, Mogryo, enter my room.

"There's a letter for you, Kupo."

"For me? Who is it from?"

The moogle shrugged and handed me the envelope. "It's from the castle in Alexandria."

I took the letter anxiously, forgetting to thank the moogle who quietly excused himself as I tore the envelope open.

It was from Beatrix.

_You must return to Alexandria immediately. A young man claiming to be a nephew of Queen Brahne has demanded an audience with you. He may have intentions of stealing the throne of Alexandria. _

_I beseech you, my queen, to come home as soon as possible. Alexandria's future may depend upon it!_

I crumpled the letter and threw it against the wall. "Not now!" I screamed. How could I just leave Zidane behind? He must be so confused and frightened right now. Once again, the call of duty rang louder than anything else. And, once again, I found myself regretting ever having taken the throne.

Yet I had taken the throne, as well as an oath to serve my people. Whoever this long lost relative was, he needed to be dealt with immediately. I packed my things quickly and retrieved Choco from the stable. Vivi rose with me to the laboratory.

Once there, I explained my reasons for leaving to Mikoto and assured her I would be back in two days at the very most. She seemed irritated at me, and I had to admit, I didn't blame her one bit.

Zidane, whom I loved more than anything in this world, lay helpless in the room beyond. And now I was abandoning him. I told myself he would have understood, had his memories been intact. As it was, he did not know who I was. Surely he would not even notice I had left.

But I certainly would…


	8. Chapter 8

The trip back to Alexandria took almost two full days. I did not sleep, nor eat, on the airship. Neither was I in any mood to entertain those basic necessities when I arrived at the castle. Beatrix awaited me anxiously and ushered me toward my private audience chamber.

Locking the door securely after us, she turned to me with a graven face.

"Thank you for returning so speedily, my queen."

I shook my head. "Beatrix, I cannot stay long. Zidane is in a bad way and I must return to him as soon as possible."

Beatrix nodded slowly. "I am sorry for Mister Zidane's condition, but…"

There was a knock on the door – the secret knock of the Pluto Knights – and Beatrix was quick to open the door just long enough to admit Captain Steiner into the room.

"Queen Garnet!" Steiner offered me a proper salute as he entered, then moved to Beatrix's side.

Throwing up my arms in frustration, I demanded, "someone please explain to me what is going on around here!"

Beatrix exchanged a glance with Steiner. "The young man I spoke of in my letter… has extensive documentation to prove his relation to your mother."

I shook my head. "What does that matter?"

"It's only that… Well…"

Steiner jumped in then. "My queen, you must know Beatrix and I will remain loyal to you no matter what. Even should you lose the throne."

My pulse quickened. "What are you saying?" I asked, glancing back and forth between them eagerly.

"You already know of your true heritage," Beatrix said very softly. "Evidently, word has spread. This young man claims he has more right to the throne of Alexandria than you. He has issued a formal request that you step down, and turn Alexandria over to him."

"I… How can he..?" I was dumbfounded.

"Peace, my queen," the general offered, setting a firm hand on my shoulder. "Your scholars have made endless work of finding a loophole in Alexandrian law."

"A loophole?" I repeated. It was nearly a shriek.

Nodding, Steiner said, "I'm afraid he has a most legitimate claim, Your Highness. At the moment, the best we can do is hope to learn of some extenuating circumstance that will nullify his claim."

I clenched my fists and felt the strain in my jaw as my teeth came together with great force. "Who is this man? I will meet with him at once."

"He has taken it upon himself to tour the palace, Your Majesty."

My eyes narrowed on Beatrix. "What liberty has he to do such a thing?"

"Every liberty, I'm afraid. But you may rest assured I have ordered my best soldiers to escort him. He won't be making trouble."

"Find him immediately, and have him meet me on my balcony. I will sort this matter out myself."

Beatrix and Steiner saluted me in unison, then left. Once the door had sealed me within the room, I dropped to my knees and threw a sideways fist against the marble floor.

"First Zidane… and now Alexandria. I'm losing everything I ever cared about."

A few moments later, I awaited my guest on the throne on the balcony which overlooked the waterway dividing Alexandria and the palace grounds. Emotions swan through me in torrents, but I felt confident that my face and posture did not betray these.

When, at last, my guest arrived, I regarded him with absolutely superiority and confidence. He dropped to one knee before me and kissed the back of my hand as was customary.

"You may rise," I uttered in my most arrogant tone. When he did, I recognized him as the man from the party in Treno. "Lord Siticus," I said, almost losing control of my tone. "What brings you to Alexandria?"

Siticus rubbed at his ear. "Surely you already know why I am here," he said calmly.

"Indulge me." It was an order, not a request. I stared him down with a hardness I might not have been able to pull off, were it not for my already soured mood.

"Very well," he said, fiddling with his elaborate neck tie. "It has recently been brought to my attention that you, My Queen, are not truly the blood daughter of Queen Brahne, my aunt."

"Do you believe every rumor you hear about the royal family?" I asked nonchalantly.

He appeared quite immune to my act. "Come now, Queen Garnet. We're family, are we not? Or is that question, perhaps, too tender a subject to mention?"

I felt my eye twitch and my energy draining. "Very well, Lord Siticus, since you are family, I suppose you have a right to know. Garnet Til Alexandros died as an infant. I was adopted by the royal family of Alexandria to serve as the heiress of the kingdom at that time. You will find that makes me more than eligible to hold the throne."

Siticus smiled evilly. "I'm afraid not, cousin." He reached into his jacket pocket and removed a piece of paper folder into quarters. He fitted an eyeglass beneath the brow of his left eye as he unfolded the sheet of paper, clearing his throat. "This was taken directly from the Alexandrian archive," he said. "_In the event that a royal heir should expire, the throne of Alexandria is to be succeeded by another member of the royal family._"

He dropped his arms to his side then and let the eyeglass fall from his eye to dangle on its cord near his waist. "What do you say to that, M'lady?"

I could feel my palms sweating inside my gloves. "Just what does that piece of paper say about legal adoptions?"

He shrugged. "You've got me there, Highness. It says nothing to that regard."

I let myself relax slightly. "It seems you've presented a non sequitur."

"I think not. As the document from which this statement was copied says nothing about adoptions, I believe it is your argument which is senseless."

"Does an adopted son not inherit his father's house?" I asked in an almost whimsical tone in an attempt to hide my uneasiness.

"That's as may be, Highness. If you wish you press this matter, however, please understand I will have no choice but to take the whole affair to court."

I leaned toward him, holding my eyes steady and wide. "Please do, Lord Siticus. I look forward to meeting you again soon."

At this, General Beatrix and Captain Steiner appeared on either side of Jerome Siticus and quickly escorted him away. The moment I heard the large double doors slam shut, my body began to tremble. I sat clutching the arms of my throne for a long moment then.

Did this man truly have claim to Alexandria? Could my argument possibly hold up in court? What would my people say when Siticus went public with the facts about my heritage? And, most important at all, would I really be disappointed if I had to give up the throne?

Hadn't this been the opportunity I'd been longing for? A truly legitimate excuse to return to common life – isn't that what I'd prayed for?

I let out a deep sigh and rose to my weary feet. For a moment, I was captivated by the view of the Alexandrian sunset. The city seemed to glow a gentle amber color as the low sun sent long shadows stretching across the waterway – black fingers, reaching toward me, beckoning me.

When twilight had come, I elected to retire to my bedroom. I slept for the next twelve hours without stirring.


	9. Chapter 9

Lord Siticus had taken the matter of his ascendancy to court, just as he'd said he would, and I received the official letter of summons only two days after that dreadful meeting. Meanwhile, I'd had my hands full, researching alongside my scholars for anything that could help my case.

It seemed almost absurd that I, Queen of Alexandria, was being taken to court. Under normal circumstances, I was the very embodiment of law and order in my country. Now it would be me on the stand, defending my right to maintain my privileges.

The good news was that my first hearing was still a week away. Immediately upon receiving this news, I was back aboard the Red Rose and on my way to the Black Mage Village and Zidane. I hated to leave my scholars to deal with this task alone, but I had full confidence in their ability, as well as their desire to keep me on the throne.

Mikoto had moved Zidane to his own hut for the time being, and Vivi had volunteered to monitor him. When I knocked on the door of the hut, it was Vivi who welcomed me inside. Zidane, now dressed in his normal clothing, sat on the edge of a small bed eyeing me curiously. I sat down in a chair across from him and Vivi joined me.

"You're back," Zidane said, smiling a little.

My heart fluttered a little. "Zidane… do you remember me?"

"Of course. You came to see me before. Then you left."

Vivi turned to me and spoke softly. "He hasn't regained any of his old memories. Neither have any of the others."

"Oh…" I bowed my head. "I'm sorry."

Zidane cocked his head. "Don't be sorry. Mikoto told me you and I were good friends. I'm the one who should be sorry. It… must be hard for you to know I don't remember our past."

_Good friends, eh? _I thought. _So she hasn't told him everything. Maybe I can use that to my advantage._

I turned to Vivi then. "Can I talk to him alone for a minute, Vivi?"

Vivi nodded and slid out of his chair. "Sure. I'll wait outside."

Once he was gone, I scooted my chair closer to Zidane's bed. "So, Mikoto told you we were friends. What else did she tell you?"

Zidane shrugged. "She told me a long story about you, me and some other people who…" he stopped then and chuckled a little. "…apparently we saved the world? It sounds a little silly, really."

I nodded. "It's true," I said. "There was a great war here on Gaia. A lot of people were killed. Then we found out another world was responsible."

"Terra," he said, a faraway look in his eyes. I waited with great anticipation while he seemed to be replaying something important in his mind. Then his eyes focused back on me and he shook his head. "Mikoto told me about Terra. The name stirs something deep within me, but… I don't know what it means."

I rose from my seat and made my way to the bed where he sat. Sitting down close beside him, I smiled warmly. This was Zidane in front of me. He was as devilishly handsome as ever with sparkling eyes the color of a tropical sea. He stared back at me through those magnificent orbs, tilting his head slightly away from mine.

"Zidane… this is killing me." My voice was barely a whisper, but he reacted to it as though I had been shouting at him, shifting away from me. His tail swished across the bedspread with a trembling motion.

"Please," he said. "I'm sorry, but… I can't remember. Please leave me alone now."

I bit my lip to subdue the urge to cry, and nodded. Rising from the bed, I made my way toward the door. Before turning the knob, I glimpsed over my shoulder and took a long look at Zidane. "Before you had this procedure, I promised I would never give up on you," I said. "And I never will."

With that, I left him alone. Vivi sat on the bottom step of the porch, and I joined him there with a heavy sigh. His inquisitive yellow eyes scanned my face eagerly.

"No luck?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I may have overdone it," I admitted. "It's just… so hard to see him like this. I refuse to believe he's forgotten _everything_. It's just not fair."

Vivi shrugged, setting a tiny hand over mine. "Life isn't fair, Dagger. You understand that better than most."

"I know," I replied, pressing my palms against my face. "But surely we deserve some happiness after all that we've been through. I won't rest until I've got him back the way he was."

At this Vivi leaned against my shoulder. "I'm glad," he said quietly. "I miss him."

I put my arm around the little fellow to comfort him and, oddly enough, felt comforted myself. "We won't give up, will we, Vivi?"

"Never," Vivi agreed.

I stayed in the village four days total, and each day I spent the majority if my time working with Zidane. Vivi was my rock throughout the ordeal and, I'm sure, he felt the same way about me. Even among his fellow villagers, I was the only other person in this village who understood what he was going through.

By the end of that week, we'd made very little progress. So far, Zidane's greatest accomplishment had been to have emotional reactions to names he heard. The name of his home world, Terra, in particular moved him – but he did report an unusually bittersweet reaction to Baku's name. It may not have been much, but the fact that his mind was, somehow, processing these things gave me hope. Hope which I clung to throughout my trip back to Alexandria where my future would soon be determined.

Regent Cid, Aunt Hilda and Eiko were waiting for me there when I returned. It was such an overwhelming relief to see their supportive, loving faces that tears streamed freely from my eyes as we exchanged embraces.

Eiko in particular was most disturbed by the news about Zidane.

"That's why I insisted we come to Alexandria," she stated boldly.

"That's not the _only _reason we came," Cid assured me. He put his arm around me then. "We intend to be present at court. I will make it clear that the kingdom of Lindblum recognizes you as queen of Alexandria."

"Oh, Uncle Cid…"

"Now, now," he cooed, rubbing my back. "We didn't come to upset you. Come, let's have a bite to eat. Your kitchen staff have been busy for hours preparing a 'welcome home' meal for you."

I nodded, taking control of my emotions with a deep breath, and allowed him to escort me to the dining room.

Eiko did most of the talking at the table. Now nine years old, my fellow summoner was becoming quite a young woman. She did well to lighten the mood with rapid, seemingly random, blurbs regarding her studies, summoning, white magic and various other news – most of which centered around her.

"My spells are stronger than ever," she said through a mouth full of roasted meat. "Father says it's a good thing I wasn't practicing black magic, or I would've brought the entire castle down by now."

That drew a heartfelt chuckle from me, and I nearly choked on the bite of food I'd just taken. This, in turn, brought the rest of my party to laughter and very suddenly a wonderful feeling came over me. As I looked around the table, I began to realize these people were my family. They loved me, worried about me, cared about me deeply. The loneliness began to fade away and, in order to hold onto this feeling, I invited them all to stay up and play board games with me for several hours.

When, at last, it was time to retire, I went reluctantly. I should have guessed Eiko would not be put to bed so easily…


	10. Chapter 10

The knock on the door came some half hour after we'd gone to bed. Eiko didn't wait for me to answer before she entered my bedroom, closing the door quietly behind her. I felt the mattress shift as she climbed up beside me and smiled inwardly at this. It was good to know Eiko still felt close to me. We were much like sisters, she and I, and I hoped that would never change.

Knowing the answer already, I asked, "what's the matter, Eiko? Can't you sleep?"

A long, drawn out sigh ensued. Then, "I'm concerned about Zidane."

I nodded, knowing that gesture would go unnoticed in the darkness of my room. "So am I."

"Oh, Sara... Isn't there anything we can do to help him? This isn't right."

"I'm doing the best I can," I assured her. "I only hope it's enough. And I wish…"

"What is it?"

I sighed. "This whole dispute over the rightful ruler of Alexandria. I don't know what to do. There are days when I give great consideration to conceding. If Lord Siticus believes himself capable of ruling a kingdom, who am I to stop him? Who am I? Nothing but an orphan, with no blood ties to Alexandria."

"I'm an orphan!" Eiko stated firmly. "There's no shame in that."

"No, Eiko. I didn't mean to say I was ashamed of my heritage. I'm proud to be a summoner. One of two survivors of our tribe. It's just… Don't you ever miss your home in Madain Sari?"

"Of course," she replied. "I don't go back as often as I'd like. I'm so busy with my studies and everything, there's just no time."

I hesitated before asking my next question. "If you had the choice, would you go back?"

Eiko was quiet a moment while she considered this. "You're not really asking _me _are you? You're asking yourself."

Not for the first time, I was a little surprised at Eiko's intuitiveness. "You're right," I said. "I don't know which is right. Do I stay in Alexandria? Do I give my whole life to servitude, marry a man I don't love just to produce an heir?"

"So that's it," Eiko muttered thoughtfully. "That's why you wouldn't marry Zidane."

"I… What?" The statement had taken me by total surprise. To my knowledge, the matter had been a completely private one. The only person I'd shared it with, aside from Zidane himself, was Beatrix – and I would not entertain the notion that Beatrix was a gossip.

"Am I right?"

"Eiko, how did you know about that?"

"Zidane bought your ring in Lindblum when he was touring there last month. He showed it to me. It's beautiful. But I didn't see it on your finger, so I'm assuming you turned him down."

"He… never formally asked me. I didn't know he bought a ring." I felt ashamed. Since Zidane's procedure, I hadn't even thought of his recent proposal. Presently I felt as though I would do anything to be back in that moment. If I had it to do over again…

"Don't beat yourself up," Eiko said, tearing me from my downward spiral. "He knew what he was getting himself into. He knows… _knew _you would if you could."

I was silent for a moment. "Eiko, do you think you'd be able to go with me to visit Zidane when this legal matter is settled?"

"Can I?" she asked, suddenly excited.

"Of course. In fact, I've been thinking about it. I'd like it if we could get everyone out to the village at some point. It might help him to see familiar faces."

"That's a great idea," the younger girl exclaimed. "But does Amarant have to come?"

I laughed quietly. "I think he'd feel left out if we didn't invite him. Whether or not he'll show is anyone's guess."

"Back to what you were saying before," Eiko said, suddenly changing the subject. "Do you really think you could give up Alexandria just like that? You've lived here all your life."

"It would not be a decision to take lightly," I agreed. "I'm only thinking of the possible outcome of this trial. If the court should decide on Lord Siticus' side, then I won't have a choice in the matter."

"I don't think your people would be very happy about it. Or Beatrix and Steiner, either."

"I would do what I could to make the transition as painless as possible for all parties involved."

Eiko laughed. "Of course you would. You're too nice. If it were me, I'd make his life a living hell. By the time I was done with him, he'd never want to see this city again."

"That's not how things are done, Eiko. You're going to have to learn that before you rule Lindblum."

"Oh, I've already got that all figured out," she remarked coyly.

"You do, do you?"

"I'm just going to get married and let my husband do all the tough stuff. Of course, I'll certainly let him know if he's doing something wrong."

I laughed again, despite my sour mood. "Oh, Eiko. I ought to have you move in here with me just to cheer me up."

"Maybe I could stay a while. That is, after we win in court!"

Again, I felt torn between the two possible outcomes of that looming date. Presently, I told myself I would find a way to live with whichever way the court decided. At that point, it would be out of my hands. Even so, I had to do my best to argue my case. It would not be fair to my people were I to simply hand my kingdom over to a stranger. Family or not, I had no reason to assume this Lord Siticus was even capable of ruling a kingdom.

"I'm glad you all came. I'll feel a lot betting knowing you're with me. I have to admit, I'm feeling very nervous about tomorrow."

"Don't worry. They'll listen to Father."

"I hope you're right, Eiko."

"Of course I am! Don't give it another thought. Now, back to Zidane. I've been thinking. Does he know about your past?"

"I… haven't told him any details about our relationship. To my knowledge, nobody has. I'm just not sure it's the right time."

"You need to tell him, Sara."

I sighed. "I don't know how. When I see him, it's so difficult not to just throw my arms around him. He looks so vulnerable, so helpless. I'm afraid if I push him too quickly, he'll ask me not to come back."

"I don't think that'll happen," Eiko said. "Deep down, he must know he loves you."

"He doesn't even knowwho I am!"

I felt Eiko's hand seeking mine in the dark, and reached out to take it. She squeezed my fingers tightly and leaned against my shoulder. "You have to make him remember. Otherwise, neither of you will ever be happy again."

"What are you talking about?"

"You and Zidane… It seems silly now, but once I realized I didn't have a chance with him, I gave it a lot of thought. In the end, I realized you and Zidane were made for each other. Nobody else will ever take your place in his life."

"Do you really think that?" I asked.

"I don't _think _it. I _know _it."

I leaned back into my pillows and pictured Zidane's face in my mind. I missed him terribly. Even with amnesia, just the sight of his face warmed my heart. I thought of the past two weeks and of how hard he was trying to remember. I thanked my stars that his spirit and constitution had not been altered. Any lesser person might not be able to deal with the pressure, but Zidane seemed up to the challenge. Just thinking about that made me smile.

_Yes_, I thought. _I'll find a way to help Zidane. One way or another, we'll be together again. It's fate._

Eiko and I talked long into the night and, eventually, we both fell asleep on my bed. It was the best night's sleep I'd gotten since the night before Zidane and I had left Alexandria to go to that damnable party, but something told me my newfound comfort was to be short-lived.

*****Okay, I don't know if anybody even considered this, but I want to make it VERY clear that this scene between Garnet and Eiko is not meant to be sexual in any way, shape or form. I think of Eiko as Garnet's kid sister, and that's more or less the role she is playing here. Please don't read into any yaoi references that simply aren't there. That having been said, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. More to come soon, I hope. If not, be patient!*** **


	11. Chapter 11

Somehow, the news of my case had reached the public, and it took nearly my entire guard to manage the crowd that had been forming since dawn at the ferry. I sat patiently beside Doctor Tot, who was to act as my representative, in the lower court room of the castle while Beatrix went about shutting all the windows to block out the noise. Lord Siticus sat on the opposite side of the aisle from me, a slew of legal professors beside him. I struggled to keep my face forward, but couldn't help notice the smug little smile on my challenger's face as he sifted through his papers.

Presently, the magistrate entered. We stood as he made his way to the bench, then took our seats again when instructed to do so. If I'd been anxious before, I was utterly nauseous now. The magistrate was a short, thin man with beady eyes and very little hair on his head. A thin, curled moustache rode upon his upper lip like a medal of his propriety. But I knew Magistrate Hermes, and he was a fair and just man. My only confidence was in knowing he would make a fair ruling.

"I have gone over the documents presented to me by both parties," he said in a deep booming voice that you wouldn't expect in a man of his stature. He pulled his eyeglass away from his face and clasped his hands together on the desk before him. "As you may know, these documents were produced many centuries ago. The adoption of a child, as we know it, was relatively unheard of in those days. However, since the adoption in question was legal and binding – in fact, it was I who made the final approval on the matter – I am uncertain how to proceed. On the one hand, we have a document which states that Queen Garnet is the legal child of the late royal family. On the other, we have a _law _which appears to give Lord Siticus the right to the throne of Alexandria."

Already my heart was sinking. Doctor Tot set a feathered hand over mine to reassure me. I only hoped he was prepared to counter this.

Magistrate Hermes continued. "Since these laws are, as I said, so very antiquated, I have determined that the outcome of this case will also go down as the solution to this seeming loophole. In other words, should I rule in the Queen's favor, an addendum will be made to include adopted children of the royal family. The opposite will be the case should Lord Siticus prove his case. Lord Siticus, your opening statement first please."

Siticus handed the floor over to one of his representatives – an exceedingly overweight gentleman with a mane of fiery red hair which encircled his entire head.

"Thank you, Your Honor. We wish to bring to the court's attention Queen Garnet's failure to defend her nation in its most dire moments. Three years ago, _Princess _Garnet took an unexpected leave from Alexandria. Rumors spread that she had been kidnapped when, in fact, she later admitted to having fled the country of her own free will."

"Objection!" Doctor Tot sprung to his feet, slamming a fist against the desk. "All of that took place before the queen's coronation ceremony!"

The magistrate nodded understandingly. "Representative Tot has a fair argument. However, I feel I must allow this statement to be heard. This hearing will be based solely upon character. Go ahead, please."

The red haired man cleared his throat. "Thank you, Your Honor. As I was saying, the princess' flight from Alexandria cost her country a great deal – not only financially. While we recognize and appreciate her reasoning, we must question her judgment as to the handling of this incident. And, to be quite clear, Doctor Tot, there was a second leave of absence which took place _after _her coronation ceremony. This was during Alexandria's most difficult transition. This country had just experienced the death of Queen Brahne, and a massive attack from a foreign arms dealer known only as 'Kuja.' At the moment when Alexandria needed her most, the Queen was entertaining the notion that she was a warrior fighting for a noble cause – a cause we still have not received any explanation of."

The magistrate twisted his moustache. "Thank you, counselor. Will Queen Garnet's representative offer a counter-statement?"

Tot stood and clasped his hands behind his back. "We will, Your Honor. I, for one, have known Queen Garnet since she was a small child. It was, in fact, I who assisted with her escape from Alexandria. Her life was in grave danger, and we have witnesses in this court room today who can give testimony to an attack on her life at the hands of the Queen herself.

"Furthermore, I wish to demonstrate the strength of will the Queen has shown. In her young life, she has seen the death of two families, as well as brutal attacks on the most prominent kingdoms of Gaia – her own included. As warrior kings and queens of yore she fought valiantly beside her comrades to stop a war that would have inevitably destroyed our world. This 'arms dealer' you spoke of was a very dangerous man, with powerful forces at his command. He would have stopped at nothing to fulfill his mission.

"Through all that, Queen Garnet has remained emotionally sound, and absolutely dedicated to her kingdom. She has never placed personal needs before those of her people, and she would lay down her life to save Alexandria. Her people know this, and love her dearly for it."

Magistrate Hermes shot me a brief smile, then nodded. "Thank you counselors. We will take a short recess now to give thought to these statements. We will reconvene in half an hour."

A moment later I found myself leaning against the wall hyperventilating. It was clear now that Siticus and his representatives would not be fair or merciful in their presentation of me.

Just as I thought his name, Siticus strode up to me. "Feeling well, Your Highness?" he asked sweetly.

I straightened quickly. "Quite well. Thank you."

He leaned a shoulder against the wall I'd been propped against and began picking at his fingernails casually. "I have a proposition for you, just between us."

"I am not interested in anything you might offer me, Sir. I intend to win this case fairly."

"Surely you must know I employ the best representatives money can buy. Yours may be loyal, but I assure you mine are better educated than that old eccentric of yours."

I smiled pleasantly. "Clearly you've never worked with Doctor Tot before. He will surprise you."

"Quite," Siticus mumbled. "Now, about my proposition. I really do wish you'd hear me out. We can make this whole legal mess go away right now if you agree to it."

I hesitated. "Very well. Speak your piece."

"I wish to suggest an arrangement that will get us both what we want."

"And what might that be?"

"Why, the thrones of Alexandria, of course."

"_Thrones?_" I echoed.

"It is not uncommon for third-cousins to wed, especially in royal families."

I was outraged. "How dare you suggest such a thing to me?"

"Oh, yes. I had forgotten you already have a peasant sharing your bed. You might wish to reconsider making a public display of him, Queen Garnet. Furthermore, I doubt very much if any child of his will ever sit on the throne."

"I could have to thrown in prison for mocking me," I said, my voice trembling.

"I speak only the truth, my queen. Now I'll leave you to consider my offer. I'll see you back in the court room… unless, of course, you wish to give me an answer now."

"…Never."

Siticus smirked and spun on his heel. "Very well, Queen Garnet. Enjoy your title while it lasts."

*****Sorry there was no Zidane in this chapter. I hope it wasn't too boring. It was kind of boring to write. I'm surprised I got it done as quickly as I did. The next one, I won't spend so much time in court – promise! Thanks for reading, everyone. So long for now!*****


	12. Chapter 12

That night, when we returned to the castle, I felt as though a dark cloud hung over my head. I had not shared with my family or councilors what Lord Siticus had proposed to me during the recess. I had, however, been giving it a great deal of thought.

I felt evil for thinking it, but perhaps it was the answer I was looking for. Perhaps Zidane would never regain his memories. What would I do then? Our situation was difficult enough as it was before. Marriage had been, more or less, out of the question – and Siticus was probably right about the production of an heir. Would Zidane's child be recognized? I had no doubt that the people of Alexandria – most of whom knew about Zidane and his efforts – would welcome our child with open arms. But what of the other nations with whom Alexandria had political relations? What would be said and done to keep our child from ever taking the throne?

My head ached and I felt so numb that I barely felt Eiko's hand clutched firmly around mine as we made our way to the dining room. I could hear the others speaking quietly around me, but could not comprehend their words. Finally, Cid addressed me directly, pulling me from my thoughts.

"There is no need for such desperation, Garnet. The magistrate has not yet made up his mind, and I still feel we make a very strong argument."

I nodded meagerly, looking around the table at all their faces. "I apologize. I am simply envisioning a worse-case scenario. I… don't know what I'll do if I lose Alexandria."

Eiko shot me a knowing glance from which I quickly turned away. Only she knew of my secret desire to be released from royalty – and so it would remain, if I could help it.

Doctor Tot polished the lenses of his glasses thoughtfully. "We have several days before we may be called to court again. More than likely, our competition will have dug up more dirt on the Queen. We must be sure we can provide something equally as valuable by then. I suggest a private investigation into Lord Siticus' past."

Again, I nodded, and again I was miles away from this conversation. Zidane's face came into my mind again, his sweet smile radiating warmth and reassurance. I felt a tugging in my chest and, once more, a strong urge to cry swept over me.

Abruptly, I slid my chair away from the table, nearly striking my server who expertly balanced a platter of meat while dodging my inadvertent assault.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. "I need to be excused."

Without another word, I fled the dining room and didn't stop until I was in the garden gazebo. There, I finally took in a deep breath of fragrant night air. The roses surrounding my mother's grave were in full bloom, giving off a heady perfume in the lingering summer heat. I knelt beside the grave marker and brushed away the little bit of plant debris that had settled there since the last landscaping duty.

"What am I supposed to do now, Mother?" I whimpered, touching the stone with one hand. No answer came, of course. After a moment, I pulled myself upright and took a seat on the circular stone bench within the gazebo. Closing my eyes, I let the sounds of night creatures sooth me to the best of their abilities. Even still, I could not block out the image of Zidane in my mind's eye.

I had promised him that I would not forsake him… but was that for my benefit, or his? When I visited him in the village, he seemed more or less content. I recognized no sadness in him, nor longing for his absent memories. In fact, my incessant task of helping him to remember the past only seemed to frustrate him.

I almost didn't dare think it, but… perhaps I was being selfish in trying to help him remember me. Perhaps it would be best for Zidane to simply start a new life among the other genomes – his own people – and to forget the hardships of his past. To forget me.

The more I considered it, the more I convinced myself it had been wrong to love Zidane at all. As ruler of Alexandria, I should marry a man of good breeding, of political standing. A man with experience ruling. Many royal marriages had sprung from, not love but, necessity. And I was a servant to my people. Had I really been so selfish?

By the end of an hour in the garden, following this train of thought, I had made up my mind. I snuck back into the castle and donned a dark robe before making my way to the ferry. I paid the guard there a large bribe to ensure she would tell no one about my secret errand. She took the money and swore never to reveal my secret before rowing my across the channel.

Once in the city, I took many back alleys and long routes to avoid the busier streets. It was not late, and Alexandria was still bustling with evening activities. Those who did spot me saw only a robed and hooded figure. I must have appeared suspicious, for passersby shot oddly fearful looks in my direction.

At last I came to the house Siticus (evidently) had owned for several years. The windows glowed with a warm light which let me know he was still up. I knocked quietly on the door and, soon, a female servant appeared there.

"May I help you?" she droned.

"I request an audience with Lord Jerome Siticus."

"Lord Siticus is in his study and will not be disturbed."

I pulled back my hood and the woman's eyes flashed wide when she recognized me.

"I'm afraid it is an urgent matter," I said.

"Yes. Yes, of course. Won't you come in?"

Replacing my hood and taking a final glance about me to make certain I hadn't been seen by anyone else, I stepped through the threshold and allowed myself to be led up the stairs to the study.

Siticus sat with hunched shoulders over an ornately carved wooden desk made of the wood of an extinct species of tree. I recognized it because this wood was used in the construction of Alexandria castle and had, at one time, been the most common hardwood in the region.

"You have a visitor, Lord Siticus," the servant crooned from the doorway.

"Mary, I've instructed you to turn away-"

He cut himself short when he spotted me and put on his most charming guise as he rose from the desk.

"Thank you, Mary. Please leave us."

The servant bowed and closed the door as she left. I stood near the door and the two of us regarded each other in silence for a long moment.

"Queen Garnet," he said at last. "Won't you sit down?"

"I prefer to stand," I said.

"Very well. What can I do for you?"

I took a deep breath. "I have been… considering your offer."

A wry smile flickered to life as Siticus made his way to the door. I sidestepped away from him as he approached, but he seemed to take no notice of this. He pulled the door open a crack and shouted down the stairs. "Mary! Tea for two, please."

A shudder ran through me. Was I doing the right thing?

"Come, my queen. Sit. We have much to discuss."

Reluctantly, I let him take my robe and hang it near the door before leading me toward a lounge on the other side of the room. He took a seat opposite me and arranged a small table between us for the awaited tea.

"Now then," he said. "Have you come to a decision?"

I felt ashamed to be in this room, this house… with this man. "I have… given it a great deal of consideration. I feel I must do what is best for my country."

"That has only ever been my intention, I assure you."

I nodded. "You promised to retract your case if I agree to this union," I said.

"I am a man of my word."

The guilt worsened with every passing second. Again, Zidane appeared to me, and I had to chase the image away lest it bring me to tears.

Mary entered with the tea tray then and neither of us spoke for a moment or two while we sipped from our cups. Siticus' eyes seemed fixed on me. I didn't like the look in those eyes. A sudden urge to flee came over me and I set my tea cup down with an unsteady hand.

"Going so soon?" he asked, following me toward the door. I quickly replaced my dark robe and reached for the brass door knob. His hand fell over mine, preventing me from turning the knob. "You came here tonight to give me an answer," he said. His voice was more gentle than I had realized was possible. He was becoming difficult to hate.

"Yes, I did," I admitted.

"Then I beg you give it to me before you go. Let us put an end to this dispute. You know it's the right thing for Alexandria."

I looked up at him with shock and humiliation. He was using my own oath against me! And yet, I could not dispute his logic.

Slowly, I squared my shoulders. "Very well," I said. "Here is my answer."

*****Dun-dun-dunnn! Oh my! What's going to happen next? Sorry again for not putting Zidane in this chapter. I wonder what he's been doing while Dagger has been away?*****


	13. Chapter 13

Two days later, Eiko and I arrived in the Black Mage Village. Seeing Eiko and Vivi's reunion was enough to distract me temporarily from the guilt which had gnawed at me throughout the duration of our flight from Alexandria. Now, though… I had to see him.

I found Zidane sitting near the stream which ran past the cemetery, staring thoughtfully at the child-like grave markers there. Without speaking, I sat down beside him and folded my hands in my lap. He seemed oblivious to my presence as he studied the moving water. I was reminded of the simplistic understandings of the black mages years ago. Water flows here on Gaia, as does time. On Terra, time did not move. The genomes did not age… nor did they die due to the passage of time. But now Terra was gone. Zidane – and the other genomes – were not made for this world.

"Hello, Zidane." I offered the greeting more to silence my destructive train of thought on the matter of his existence.

He turned to me slowly, offering only a mildly polite smile. "Hello… Dagger."

His expression worried me. "Are you alright?" I asked. "You look upset."

"You keep coming here to see me… But you've got things going on in Alexandria that keep you from staying."

I nodded. "That's true. I wish I could spend more time here, but a queen has business to attend to."

"You never talk about it, but I can tell it makes you unhappy."

"Things aren't as… stable as I'd like them to be at the moment."

Zidane then began to fish around in his pocket. A moment later, he produced a glittering ring and held it out toward me. I blinked in bewilderment. The stone was small, but the silver band had been ornately shaped around it. Its value could not be anywhere near that of the crown jewels of Alexandria, but this ring seemed to shine brighter than they.

"I found this in my things the other day," he said, sadness in his voice. "I guess I was supposed to give it to you."

I tore my eyes from the ring then. "Zidane, I… I can't accept that. Not now, I mean."

"You might as well. I haven't got much use for it."

"No, really. You keep it."

Zidane shook his head and let out a long sigh as he dropped the ring back into his pocket.

"Zidane, I have to tell you something." He nodded, letting me know he was listening, but didn't look up. "There is a… a man. He has challenged my right to the throne of Alexandria…"

Zidane's eyes widened slightly. "How can he do that?"

"He is a cousin of mine, evidently. Well, no. Not my cousin at all. I don't know if you've been told this, but I was not born Garnet Til Alexandros. The real princess died as a small child. I was actually a refugee from a village of summoners. I was adopted in secret to replace the dead princess. This is something I only discovered myself a few years ago. You were standing beside me when I learned of this."

"I wish I could remember," he said. "I'd like to be able to remember that."

"It's alright, Zidane. You were there with me then, and that's what's important."

"I'm glad… So, about this cousin. Can he really replace you?"

"Well, that's what I've been back in Alexandria to determine. I've been in court, you see. There has not yet been a decision. I… was proposed with another arrangement to prevent the possible negative outcome of the trial."

At this, Zidane's face briefly reflected something like fear. "What are you saying?"

I bowed my head. Could I really tell him?

"In exchange for my hand in marriage, I will remain the queen of Alexandria."

I thought I detected a minute flare of anger in Zidane. Perhaps it was only foolish hope that made me see it.

"I see," he said plainly. "What was your answer?"

"I… haven't given it yet. Lord Siticus agreed to let me have some more time to think on the matter. I don't feel comfortable making such a huge decision without knowing for certain that…" I caught myself at the last second, but it was too late.

"Until you're certain I'll never get my memories back." He finished my sentence without looking at me.

"Oh, Zidane."

"Don't feel bad," he said. "You're only being logical. There's no sense in your tying yourself to me if there's no hope I'll ever remember you."

Unable to resist the urge, I leaned my forehead against his shoulder. "Zidane, please understand. I can never love anybody the way I love you. I will never forsake you. Even if you never regain your memories, I know we can make new ones together."

Unexpectedly, Zidane's arm fell upon my shoulder. It felt so good to be close to him, I nearly convinced myself that he'd remembered me. But, no.

"I'll admit… I feel a strong attraction to you. It's more than physical, too." He sighed, obviously frustrated once again with the challenge. "I can feel that there's something between us. But… I can't guarantee I'll ever feel the way I did before. Are you willing to throw your future away on that?"

I nodded quickly. "There's no future without you, Zidane."

"There could be," he argued. "I've been thinking… It must have been difficult for you, being royalty. You probably went to a lot of bother keeping our relationship under wraps. Even then, I'm sure there was a lot of gossip."

"It didn't matter what people whispered about me, as long as we were together."

"I just think perhaps you'd be better off with this other man."

"I don't even know him! Would you really ask me to marry a stranger?"

He looked me square in the face then. "Would you ask me to _love _a stranger?"

Severe nausea came over me in that instant. I felt myself trembling as I searched his eyes for any sign of hope. What I found there, I could not describe – but it filled me with such fear that I could no longer be in his presence. I stood abruptly and rushed off, not stopping until I was deep in the forest, out of view of the village.

There I remained until sunset. When I returned to the inn, the room was empty. I wondered where Eiko and Vivi were, but hadn't the energy to go searching for them. I knew Eiko was in no danger, and so I let the matter go and let myself sink into the deep reserve of the overstuffed mattress. I had nearly dozed off when the sound of approaching footsteps stirred me.

I squinted toward the door as the curtain there was pulled aside by a shadowed figure.

"Dagger?"

It was Zidane's voice!

"Y-yes?"

"May I come in?"

I bit my lip. "Of course."

Zidane stepped into the room slowly, his tail swishing behind him. He stopped in front of me where I was now sitting up on the edge of the bed. For a long moment, he stood in silent repose.

"I'm sorry," he said at last. I could sense the pain in his tone and deemed it sincere. "I didn't mean to upset you. I only wanted you to know… I won't hold it against you if you decide to move on without me."

"I appreciate that," I managed to say. "But… I'm not sure I'm capable of moving on. Zidane, I waited so long for you to come back. Even when I thought you were dead, I didn't want anyone else. Getting you back was the greatest gift I've ever received. I vowed then never to let anything separate us again. I can't walk away now. If there's any chance for us, I'll wait. Even if it costs me Alexandria."

He smiled a little then. "I see now what I must have found so irresistible about you."

I laughed a little. "Zidane… please tell me this isn't the end."

He took a seat beside me on the bed. "Maybe it's just a new beginning." He reached up slowly and brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear. "But… only if you're sure this is what you want."

"I've never been so sure of anything in my life."

He nodded then, as though to reassure us both, then leaned in closer. His lips brushed against mine ever so softly at first. I breathed him in deeply, banishing the doubt that threatened to ruin this moment for me.

Slowly his hands moved up my back and he pulled me closer, intensifying the kiss.

Then, without warning, he jerked away. His eyes were wide with surprise and, possibly, fear as he stared at me.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I… I think I remembered something."

My pulse quickened, if that were possible. "What was it?"'

"I saw… white wings spreading into the night sky. Then a dragon. Something happened. You were in danger. I saw you falling."

There was terror in his voice.

"The summoning of Alexander," I muttered. "Yes, I was falling. But you saved me, Zidane. I think that was when I first realized my feelings for you."

"I saved you?"

I nodded. "I knew then that you'd always come for me. No matter what, Zidane would be there."

He bent his head forward slightly. "This is so hard," he whispered. "I want so badly to remember. Sometimes I sit for hours, digging for the memories, but they never come."

"It's alright, Zidane. It hasn't been very long. Give it time."

"You'll stay here with me?"

I nodded. "If you want me to."

"Yes, I do. I don't know what's happening to me, but when I'm with you… I feel better. More at peace."

I hugged him then and he eagerly accepted the gesture. For the first time in weeks, I felt a glimmer of hope. Perhaps things would end well, after all. Lord Siticus would not be pleased when I responded to his proposal… and I knew it was selfish to put my needs before those of my kingdom. But I also knew this: I could not live without Zidane. If that meant losing my kingdom, then so be it.


	14. Chapter 14

*****Sorry for the long wait, everyone! I just got a new job and it's suddenly very hard to find the time and energy to write. This is not the first version of chapter 14 I wrote, but I decided I didn't really like the first one. So, without further ado, here's chapter 14. Enjoy!*****

The next morning I awoke with a smile already on my face. Zidane and I were together again – in some form. Moreover, he was making some progress in regaining his memories. In that moment, I had nothing but faith that things would be alright.

Presently, the bunk overhead creaked with movement. Eiko's feet dangled over the edge briefly before the girl let herself drop to the floor. I continued to lay still, watching as she pulled on her shoes and coat. It wasn't until she had reached the door that I stirred.

"Where are you sneaking off to?" I asked, feigning suspicion.

Eiko froze and turned slowly toward me with a sly grin. "Nowhere."

I sat up and stretched. "What time is it?"

"The sun's up," Eiko shrugged. Then she sighed, realizing I wasn't going to back down. "I just wanted to talk to Zidane," she admitted.

I lifted an eyebrow at this. "Eiko, you can see Zidane any time. Why are you sneaking out?"

She dragged her toe in a circle across the floor for a moment, then looked up at me. "It's private!" she shouted suddenly.

I flinched at her outburst, then shook my head. "Alright, Eiko. That's all you had to say."

"Thanks, Sara!" she squeaked, whirling toward the door.

"But Eiko!"

Skidding to a stop, she turned to me again, her face crinkled with fear.

"Just don't do anything rash," I warned. The little girl nodded, her smile returning, and skipped past the heavy curtain on her way out of the inn.

I fell back into the pillow, my eyes lingering after Eiko for a few moments. Then, deciding I wasn't going to be able to fall back to sleep, I threw off the covers and swung my feet over the edge of the bed. The wooden floor was cold, but I was too distracted to really take notice of this fact. An unexpected smile spread across my face as I thought again of Zidane. I wondered if he was awake, if he was thinking of me, too.

Presently, I tapped my fingers on the frame of the bed, realizing I would have to wait until Eiko's "private" meeting with Zidane was over before I could see him. I dressed quickly and stepped out of the inn, into the brilliant misty morning. The air was to fresh and crisp here, I noticed once again. Wouldn't it be nice if I could stay here?

I shook my head, banishing the dream before it was fully formed. I had to keep my priorities in order. Zidane's newly rediscovered affection did not necessarily mean I would be leaving Alexandria for good. There was still a chance I could win in court – and I had to try. Everybody had such high hopes for me. They were trying so hard to make this work for me, and because they honestly felt it was right for me to rule. I wouldn't throw all that away for selfish reasons.

Not having anything else to do, I started walking toward the far edge of the village, where the other genomes who'd undergone the life-extension procedure were living. Since Zidane had made some progress, I wanted to know how they were doing. 

Not surprisingly, I found Mikoto heading toward the hut from the opposite direction. I stopped and waited until she approached me, her tone somewhat pleasant. "Zidane isn't here," she said without greeting me.

I nodded. "I know. I was just wondering how the others were doing."

Mikoto looked sidelong at the hut, then sighed. "One of them has reported dreaming of past incidents. The rest are the same as before. No change."

I let my face fall in honest disappointment. "I'm sorry to hear that," I said quietly. "I'm sure you've heard that Zidane has been making progress."

Mikoto's face became suddenly smug. "Yes, I had heard that. But I wonder how much of it is real."

I started. "What do you mean?" I demanded, a hard edge in my voice. "Zidane described a moment from our past perfectly to me just yesterday."

Nodding, Mikoto's face remained stern. "Did he remember that, or did you tell him about it, making him form a false memory?"

I opened my mouth, then hesitated. Had I told Zidane about the night Eiko and I had summoned Alexander? "No," I decided aloud. "I never told him about that incident."

Mikoto shrugged nonchalantly. "Perhaps not. I only hope you're not clinging to blind faith."

"You don't want him to remember," I thought aloud.

Mikoto's eyes widened. "I beg your pardon?"

"You want him to be stuck here. With you. Isn't that right?" I hardly knew where these thoughts were coming from, but something told me I was on the right track.

"Don't be absurd, Queen Garnet. I would never wish harm on any of the genomes."

"But you wouldn't mind if Zidane forgot all about the rest of us and was content to stay here in this village forever, would you?"

Mikoto's eyes narrowed on me. "Zidane's place is with his own people. If he wishes to leave, I will not stop him… But I think you're being selfish in pushing all this on him. Don't you realize you're putting ideas into his head?"

I started to protest – then wondered if she was right. Was I pushing him too hard? And was my intention totally selfish? I never got a chance to defend myself, for Mikoto pushed past me with a shake of her head and disappeared into the hut. I stood just outside it for a long moment, considering her words, and hating them. I had to see Zidane, I decided – Eiko's little chat would have to wait.

As I neared Zidane's hut, however, Eiko was just leaving. Vivi had been sitting on the steps waiting for her, and the little mage waved enthusiastically at me. "Hi, Dagger!" he said, rising to his feet.

Eiko stomped her foot behind him. "What about me?" she demanded, thrusting her hands against her hips.

"Oh. Hi, Eiko."

"That's better. Now let's go see Bobbie Corwin!"

Vivi straightened his steeple hat and shrugged before chasing Eiko toward the stable.

I stood in silence for a moment, staring at the door, trying to picture Zidane behind it. Before I mustered the courage to enter, however, the door was pulled open and Zidane's face lit up in a wide smile.

"Hi," he said warmly. "I was hoping you'd come by."

"Hello, Zidane," I offered, trying to manage my voice. I must have failed, because Zidane's face suddenly reflected the worry he surely saw on mine. "May I speak with you?"

"Sure, Dagger. Come on in." He stepped aside, letting me enter, then closed the door gently shut behind us. "What's up?" he asked cautiously, watching me pace.

"Zidane," I began slowly. "Do you think… I'm putting ideas in your head?"

He shot me a confused glance. "What?"

I tried to reword. "Does it feel like I'm pushing you too hard?"

"What makes you ask that now?"

"Please, just be honest with me."

"Well, no. You've been very patient. As for putting ideas in my head… I don't know what you mean." He regarded me curiously. "What's all this about?" he asked then.

"It's… something Mikoto said. She thinks I'm giving you false memories, that I'm just pushing to get what I want."

"Hold it, hold it," Zidane said, placing a hand on each of my shoulders. He waited until I looked up at him to continue. "Mikoto said all that?" He almost looked angry. I nodded slowly, and he sighed. "I'll have to have a talk with her."

"No," I said, letting my head drop. "Please don't say anything."

"She has no right to accuse you like that," Zidane insisted.

"Please, Zidane. It will only cause more trouble. She hates me enough as it is. She…" I stopped myself from spilling further accusation, but Zidane always knew when I was hiding something.

"She what?" he pressed.

"She doesn't want you to leave the village," I murmured. "She thinks you belong here with the other genomes."

Zidane's gaze grew distant for a moment. "I don't know about that," he whispered. "Even before you told me everything, I didn't really believe that. I kept feeling like there was somewhere else I was supposed to be, other people who were missing from my life here. Now I know that's all true. This will never be my home."

"Do you really believe that?" I asked, a little amazed at his intuition.

He nodded. "Even moreso now." He smiled that sheepish little smile at me and I felt a flutter in my stomach. Then he lifted a hand to smooth back my hair, and planted a soft kiss on my forehead before pulling me into his arms. I closed my eyes tightly as my head rested against his chest. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to be the Zidane you know. I had a dream about you last night. When I woke up, I knew what I had to do."

"What's that?" I dared ask.

"I have to be with you," he whispered. "No matter where you go in this world, I want to be beside you."

"Zidane… Are you sure you're ready to leave the village?"

He sighed gently. "No. But I want to give it a try. I can't explain these feelings I have. When I think of you, I feel so… happy. There's something between us even amnesia can't kill. So, if you'll allow it, I'd like to return to Alexandria when you go."

I nodded slowly as he pulled away to read my face. "Of course you can go with me," I said, smiling. "Only…"

"What is it?" he asked, touching my cheek.

"I can't help but feel like something terrible is going to come of this, Zidane. I woke up feeling so wonderful, and now… What if Mikoto's right? What if your feelings for me are only imagined?"

Zidane pondered this for a moment. "They're real," he said shortly. "I know it."

"Zidane…"

He smiled. "Dagger."

I laughed quietly and he, once again, pulled me into a warm embrace. I closed my eyes, completely content, as he held me. Even Mikoto's harsh words couldn't hurt me now.

After a moment of utter bliss, something dawned on me. "By the way," I mumbled into his chest. "What did Eiko and you talk about?"

Zidane laughed at some private joke. "She made me promise not to tell," he replied. "But if you ask me again, I'll probably fold. It's not easy saying no to you."

"Then I won't ask," I conceded. "As long as you promise me it was nothing bad."

"No," he said. "Nothing bad at all. I promise."


	15. Chapter 15

*****Okay… I have had TWO of my readers inform me that this story is making them cry. While I'm flattered you were so moved, I do implore you not to take this fanfiction too seriously!*****

All too soon, it was time to return to Alexandria. Zidane had insisted on coming along and, although I had my qualms about exposing his delicate psyche to a large city like Alexandria, I hadn't the heart to deny him this request. Beatrix awaited us on the Red Rose just beyond the forest and did not bat an eye as Zidane nodded meagerly to her.

"Master Zidane," she said politely. "It is good to see you. Please make yourself at home aboard the Red Rose."

"Thank you, Miss umm?"

"That's General Beatrix," I prompted quietly. "Remember I told you about her?"

"O-of course," Zidane said, bowing his head. "Thank you, General."

I ushered Zidane past Beatrix as Eiko trailed cheerfully behind us.

"Supper is waiting on the rear deck, Majesty," Beatrix called after us. I thanked her and lead Zidane and Eiko in that direction.

We ate in almost total silence. As we'd made our way through the forest to reach the ship, a plan had been formulating in my mind. Glancing at Zidane presently, seeing his sweetly innocent smile, I knew what had to be done. But even those brilliant aquamarine eyes couldn't settle the guilt that threatened to tear through my soul.

"This is great food," Zidane commented, dragging me from my thoughts. I nodded, then turned to Eiko.

"What do you think?"

She smiled and nodded. "It's alright. Not as good as my Rock-Fisted Potato Stew, though. Don't you agree, Zidane?" Then she recoiled in shame and uttered quietly, "sorry, never mind."

"That's okay, Eiko," Zidane murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. An uneasy silence followed.

I glanced between them slowly, then sighed. "Well, I'm full," I announced, immune to the awkwardness. Eiko looked at my plate and tilted her head slightly.

"You've hardly eaten anything," she observed.

I shrugged. "I guess I'm just not very hungry right now. I have a lot of my mind. Will you excuse me please?"

With that, I shoved back from the table and smiled at Zidane who looked almost hurt.

"That's alright," Eiko giggled. "Zidane and I have something we need to discuss in private."

I stopped and glanced back at Zidane who gave me a reassuring nod. "I won't be long," I promised, skirting away. I had to find Beatrix, share my thought with her. She would argue, I knew, but I had to tell someone. At least Beatrix was sworn to obey me; I knew I could trust her with what I was about to tell her. Somehow, that didn't settle my queasy stomach as I set out to find her.

She was standing at the bow of the ship, her auburn locks swaying gently in the wind. As she heard my approach, she turned and offered a gentle smile.

"I had hoped you would seek me out," she said. "What a surprise to see Zidane striding along beside you."

I nodded slowly. "He insisted on coming. I think he believes a familiar setting may entice his memories to return."

"I hope that is true. Now, what can I do for you?"

"Beatrix," I said, rubbing my hands together absently. "Will you promise not to despise me for what I'm about to tell you?"

Her singular eye widened with intrigue. "I am but sworn to serve you, my queen. Whatever your wish may be."

"That's just it," I stammered. "You won't be in my service much longer."

Her jaw nearly dropped, but she composed herself quickly. "What are you saying?"

"I've decided… to step down. If Siticus believes he is fit to rule, I will not stand in his way."

"Preposterous! That young upstart has no business on the throne!"

"I thought, perhaps, you and Steiner could help him get settled. He'll learn, in time. I honestly believe he has Alexandria's best interests in mind."

Shaking her head tiredly, Beatrix sighed. "I do not believe what I am hearing. After all that Regent Cid and Doctor Tot have done to keep you on the throne… Would you repay them by dishonoring their kindness?"

"Of course not!" I shouted defensively. "But I… Oh, Beatrix, it's not as simple as all that. You know I've been thinking about this for some time. This just isn't the life I want for myself."

"It is not a matter of 'wanting,' my queen. Alexandria will never accept Jerome Siticus as King."

I smirked. "The same was said of me when my mother passed."

Beatrix laughed quietly. "I'd forgotten. But, please, Garnet… Reconsider."

"I don't see another option," I said. "How can I care for Zidane _and _rule a kingdom? No. I simply can't do both, and Zidane is my highest priority now."

Beatrix made a hissing sound between her teeth.

"You _do _despise me, don't you?" I asked sheepishly.

"Despise? No. But I am… disappointed. Mainly because I never realized just how selfish you could be."

I felt my face grow red. Beatrix stared firmly at me while I seemed to shrink beneath her gaze.

"Oh, Beatrix," I whispered. "I don't know if I can do this anymore."

Her expression softened then and she held her arms open for me. I gladly fell into them. Nothing had quite replaced my mother's comforting embrace like Beatrix's cold chest plate. Somehow, it felt warm and safe, despite the armor.

"Steiner and I will be there for you," she said, stroking my hair back. "You have many friends, and they will never forsake you. I only hope you can find a way to be happy without shirking your responsibilities."

"Perhaps… Perhaps you're right." It was frustrating. This was no spur of the moment decision. I'd been debating this for a _very _long time and, even when I'd finally made up my mind, something had come along to dissuade me yet again. Perhaps this was meant to be. I tried to console myself with the idea of fate, of destiny… but it wasn't helping. Was I truly doomed to a life I would never have chosen for myself?

Immediately, I scolded myself – and not for the first time – for thinking like that. How many rulers throughout history had been born to servitude? How many had longed for common life, for _freedom_, and gone without? At least I'd had a taste; much more than most.

Beatrix released me then, scanning me with a concerned eye and furrowed brow. "I'll try, Beatrix. For you, I'll try."

Then the familiarity between us faded and Beatrix was once again my general and not my friend.

"I am pleased you have reconsidered, Highness. Is there anything further you require?"

"No, Beatrix. I'm sorry to have troubled you with this."

"Think nothing of it, my queen. Farewell. I will inform you when we reach Alexandria."

"Thank you. Good bye."

With that, I spun and headed back to where I'd left Zidane and Eiko. More time had gone by than I'd realized; the table had been cleared, and the chairs surrounding it were empty. Eiko's voice wafted up to me from somewhere below. I leaned over the raining and found her kneeling beside the moogle, Serino, chatting with the small pink creature. I smiled and left her to her visit, giving a brief thought to the moogles left behind in Madain Sari. I wondered how they were doing, if they'd managed to lure Lani out of her rough, cold shell.

A noise caught my attention, making me look up. Zidane stood at the edge of the rear deck, facing me with a concerned face. I walked up to him slowly, trying to conceal my distress. He wasn't fooled.

"What's the matter?" he asked. "Are you worried about going home?"

"I'm more worried I may never again leave home."

"What are you talking about?"

I shrugged. "Sorry. It's nothing. What did you and Eiko talk about?"

Zidane shot me a heartbreaking grin. "It's a secret."

"I see. Then I won't pry."

"Garnet?"

"Please. _Dagger_. That's what you always called me."

"Dagger… You're too pretty to be a Dagger. But, somehow, it suits you. I'm not sure why."

I smiled, remembering that fateful day when everything changed. I had been about to enter public under a new identity. The risk had been so high, and yet… and yet I had trusted Zidane, implicitly, even then.

"You wanted to ask me something?"

"Yeah," he said. "I'm a little nervous about showing up in Alexandria. I must know people there… What will I say to them?"

"You don't have to say anything," I told him. "If you'd prefer not to see anyone, you're welcome to stay at the castle."

"Are you sure that's alright?"

"Of course. You used to stay there a lot."

"With you?"

I blushed. "Well, yes."

He moved closer to me then, his eyes sparkling. I felt myself automatically falling into his arms without hesitation.

A loud screech of grinding metal, followed by a lurching of the ship, spoiled the moment. Dark smoke came at us from one of the forward turbines like a black serpent and we fell to the deck to avoid choking. Zidane's hand clamped down tightly on mine and I felt him leading me at a crawl away from the stream of smoke.

Many voices cried out around us and I quickly gathered that something had entered the turbine intake manifold and been lodged there, causing the motorized propeller to seize. The ship began to rock in a most unsettling way and, by the time we broke free of the smoky haze, it was clear we were losing altitude.

Beatrix appeared then, taking hold of my arm while Zidane held the other.

"What's happening?" I cried over the chaos.

"The ship's going down," Beatrix replied hastily. "We must dislodge the debris or we'll crash!"

Zidane and Beatrix rushed me toward the cabin where the three of us took hold of a bedpost – the bed itself having been mounted to the floor – and held ourselves upright while the ship lurched this way and that. Even inside, I could smell the smoke. I could see from Beatrix's face that we had a very small chance of survival. Turning, I found Zidane staring wide-eyed at me. Something was going on behind those incredible eyes.

Before I could blink, he planted a warm, wet kiss on my cheek and fled the room. I started after him, but Beatrix held fast to me. "It's too dangerous!" she shouted, dragging me back to safety.

"No!" I cried, reaching after Zidane as his form vanished into the bright sunlight. "Zidane, don't go!"

I struggled wildly against Beatrix's grip on me. I knew it was pointless to fight her, but I couldn't stand by helpless. As luck would have it, the ship took one particularly vicious dip and Beatrix's fingers fell away from my arm. I stumbled, falling to my knees, then immediately righted myself and fled through the still open door.

Zidane was, at first, nowhere to be seen – but a group of ship hands stood around the turbine, looking up at it while it smoked. "No," I uttered aloud, lunging forward. The black smoke was still pouring from the manifold.

Suddenly, Zidane's head popped up from within the thing. His face was pitch black, but his eyes sparkled with excitement as he coughed, climbing out of the manifold. In his hand was something black and white – a dead bird, I realized. He tossed the limp creature overboard and called out to the workers. "Start it back up, quick, before we crash!"

A couple ship hands ran off then and, a moment later, the propeller was whirling again. Unexpectedly, the ship jumped roughly as it tried to right itself. Then everything slowed. Zidane's eyes flew wide as one, then both, feet came off the narrow iron mounting. His arms flailed uselessly like featherless wings as he tipped backward off the side of the airship. I lunged forward, reaching the spot where he'd fallen just in time to see his figure shrink, then disappear, into the blue abyss of the sea below.


	16. Chapter 16

*****Hello again! Well, I must admit, I'm not terribly pleased with this chapter. It was a you-know-what to write and took several sessions before I was satisfied. Even so, I know it's not great. I hope you like it anyway. By the way, I'd appreciate it if people could stop trying to predict what's going to happen next when they review my chapters. I hope that's not too much to ask. I just find it insulting that, after all the time and effort I put into updating this story regularly FOR YOU, you have the audacity to second-guess me. Maybe I'm overly sensitive, but I find it a little rude. Thanks.*****

When the Red Rose docked in Alexandria, Beatrix literally had to carry me off the ship. I was still in shock when she passed me off to Steiner and the pair of them took me upstairs to bed.

When I came to, my room was dark. I was in my nightgown, tucked tightly into the plush bedding. My eyes were burning and dry – from crying, I guessed. The tender skin beneath my eyes was raw and stiff. Presently the image of Zidane falling flashed through my mind and I began hyperventilating. Beatrix was instantly at my bedside, seating herself beside me and pulling me into her arms. I hadn't seen her in the darkness.

"There, now," she cooed gently, stroking my face. "It's alright."

"Zidane… where is he? He's not dead. He's not!"

Beatrix shushed me patiently. "Regent Cid has deployed a fleet of airships to search the area where he fell. We will soon know what they found."

"We must join them," I said frantically, pulling away from Beatrix and climbing out of bed. I scanned the room for my clothes and changed quickly. "Ready the Red Rose. We leave at once!"

"Please, my queen. You are in no condition-"

"I said 'ready the ship!'"

Beatrix saluted me. "Yes, Your Highness."

As we stepped into the hallway, I said, "I want Steiner aboard as well."

"Captain Steiner has already joined the Lindblum fleet. He is aboard the Hilda Garde with Regent Cid."

I nodded. "Very well. We must hurry."

Perhaps I was in denial. Perhaps I had finally lost my mind. But neither of these possibilities suggested themselves to me as I marched confidently back toward the ship. I would not entertain the notion that I'd lost Zidane. After everything we'd been through… I refused to give into the possibility.

It took only a short time to reach the place where Zidane had fallen. We flow very near the sea, weaving in between the Lindblum ships. I could see the Hilda Garde, dwarfing the other ships in Cid's fleet, and thought I could make out Steiner's hulking form on the deck. I knew he would not give up on Zidane.

Searchlights drew pale patterns over the dark water below. The crew of each ship searched tirelessly, scanning the treacherous sea for signs of Zidane and finding none. But I could see the doubt in their eyes as they performed their duties. In my heart, I knew the truth. If Zidane hadn't made it to shore by now, he had surely drowned. Yet he'd been an hour from land, at best, when he fell. Even if he'd survived the fall itself, could he have swam the distance?

My eyes followed the beams of light and I half-expected Zidane to appear at any moment. But he never did. Hours passed. Finally someone – a deck hand I'd never noticed before – set a hand on my shoulder.

"Your Highness?"

"What is it?" I asked shortly.

"My queen… surely there's no point in continuing the search now."

My eyes narrowed and my lip quivered. "No point, you say?" I spun on the young man and he flinched a little. "Are you married, Sir?"

He nodded timidly. "Yes," he said. "Since last spring."

"Then imagine, please, that your wife has fallen into the ocean from several hundred yards above. Would you be so eager to return home to a life in shambles?"

I could tell the young man was both baffled and horrified by my morbid suggestion. "N-no, your majesty. We will search as long as you wish!"

He dismissed himself quickly, jogging away from me hurriedly. I continued to scan the water for another moment, then sighed. He was right. This was all in vain. I had to face the facts… or, at least, one fact. We would not find Zidane this way. If he'd survived – and I had to believe he had – he could not still be in the water.

I turned to find Beatrix standing a few paces behind me, watching me with that cold, calculating stare. I nodded to her slowly. "Let's go."

"Yes, Your Highness. I will inform the captain."

"Wait, Beatrix." I hesitated as she waited. "I'd like the fleet to move its search to the coastline northwest of Burmecia."

A look of disgusting pity and worry came over her face then, and I had to turn away.

"I know what you're thinking," I said coldly. "I'm not a fool. Nobody could survive a fall like that. But I can't give up. He has overcome impossible odds before. He'll do it again."

Beatrix bowed and, without a word, turned and left me.

ONE DAY LATER…

I opened my eyes slowly and into focus came a dimly lit room. Sore muscles rested painfully on a lumpy mattress and flickering patterns made from the flame of an oil lamp danced across the low ceiling overhead. For a moment I watched these, hardly aware of myself or my surroundings, until I heard the faint rustling of fabric nearby. I turned my head, wincing at the sharp shooting pain in my neck, and let my heavy eyes fall upon the figure beside the bed.

"F… Freya?"

"Zidane," came the low, cool voice. "How are you feeling?"

"Like crap," I admitted, straightening my neck again to relieve the pain. "Where am I?"

"Burmecia," she returned seriously. "A fisherman found you on the beach with a chocobo standing over you."

"Choco?" I asked quietly, rubbing my face with my hands. Suddenly it all came flooding back. The airship, the smoke… the fall. I'd barely had the energy to blow the whistle that summoned Choco and he'd arrived just in time to save me from drowning.

"Well?" Freya said at length, an edge to her voice. "Aren't you going to tell me how all this came about?"

"It's a long story," I murmured. "Wait… The Red Rose. What happened to the ship?"

Freya shrugged. "To my knowledge, it's in Alexandria. Cid's fleet was spotted over the coast shortly after you were discovered, however. We attempted to get their attention, but to no avail. They circled a few times, then moved on."

That hurt a little, I had to admit. I would have expected Dagger to do a little more in attempt to find me. Then again, it had been a very long fall. Even I was surprised at having survived it.

Something else dawned on me then. "Freya? You're Freya."

"Of course. Who else would I be?"

"I remember you!" I exclaimed, as excitedly as I could.

"I should hope so," she answered smugly.

But I was immune to her bruised feelings and sarcastic remarks. I closed my eyes and tried to picture other people from my past – with total success this time. Eiko, Amarant, Steiner, Beatrix, Quina, Vivi, Baku and my Tantalus brothers and… "Dagger."

"The queen?" Freya muttered absently.

"I have to get back to Alexandria!"

"You're in no condition to travel, Zidane. You need to stay in bed. You're lucky to be alive."

"Dammit. Freya, I need a favor."

Freya bowed her head. "Ask."

"Is there any way you can get word to Dagger? Let her know I'm alive, and that I'm here?"

Freya sighed, then shook her head. "I'm afraid our best hope would be to wait for the next cargo ship. It's not due for two days yet."

"What about a chocobo?"

Freya laughed half-heartedly. "That would take twice as long."

"Not if someone flew Choco there."

"Zidane…"

"Please, Freya. It's important. I'm afraid Dagger's going to do something she'll regret forever."

She considered this for a moment. "Choco isn't very keen on strangers, if you recall."

"He knows you well enough," I pressed earnestly.

"That is true. Very well, Zidane. Shall I leave immediately?"

"Please. As soon as you can."

She rose from her seat and patted my shoulder gently. Her small eyes glittered in the lamp light. "I'll do what I can, old friend."

"Thank you, Freya," I said weakly.

She nodded then and left the room with speed. I let out a sigh as the door closed behind her. Would she get there in time?

As I lay there, I couldn't help but smile. My amnesia was gone. I could remember everything from before. Everything. Mostly, though, I focused on my memories of Dagger. I was the only thing keeping her from marrying that Siticus character. If she thought I was dead… "No!" I cried aloud, clutching my throbbing head.

_Wait for me, Dagger. Freya… Please hurry!_


	17. Chapter 17

_*****Okay, people… Here it is, at last. There will be at least one more chapter after this one – maybe two, if I think of something big to add. Sorry you all had to wait so long for it. I hope you enjoy it!*****_

It was all I could do to keep my composure while the magistrates dueled relentlessly before the judge. At the moment, it seemed utterly ridiculous for me to even be here. Queen or not, I should have been aiding in the search for Zidane. I refused to accept the fate everyone else had already decided for him. He wasn't dead. He couldn't be. He was meant for me, and I needed him more than ever. Fate could not possibly be so cruel.

I must have completely lost myself in thought because, when the judge called for a recess, I jumped at the sound of his booming gavel. The courtroom emptied quickly and I, still a little dazed, began to glance around frantically for my familiars. Cid and Tot were beside me in an instant, followed by Hilda and Eiko.

"It's going very well, don't you think?" Tot asked to no one in particular.

"Is it?" I muttered, heaving a heavy sigh.

"Why, Garnet. Aren't you the least bit please? It's fair to say we've won. All that's left if for the judge to make his ruling. Siticus' magistrate is sweating under his collar – I can smell it." Tot was so animatedly excited that I couldn't help smile.

"Thank you, Doctor Tot. You've done…" My voice hitched and I felt tears stinging to be released.

"There, there," he said soothingly, stroking my back. "Let's get somewhere more private."

"I'm fine," I said, standing and forcing my emotions back down. "But, yes. Let's step outside."

We emerged through the tall, heavy doors of the courtroom and were met by an almost afternoon sun. began to wonder just how long we'd been in court – and scolded myself for not paying more attention. This was my life, and I was not taking it seriously. Yet even that thought was a mere afterthought.

_Oh, Zidane. Please… Please don't be dead. _

"Queen Garnet?" came a familiar voice – though it was missing some of its usual smugness. In fact, Siticus almost looked human as he pushed through the crowd to approach me. My companions formed a barrier between him and I, but I waved them away with an appreciative nod.

"Lord Siticus," I murmured.

"I want to ask you once more to reconsider my offer."

I might've laughed under other circumstances. "Oh?"

"I know I've come across as rather a brute, but I'm afraid I'm a business man to the core."

"And you're not accustomed to losing, are you, Sir?"

"Let me just say, I never fold my hand. Nothing is ever over until it's over." There was something so ominous in that statement that I felt myself again growing anxious.

"I'm afraid," I said, swallowing a lump in my throat, "that my answer stands firm. I will not marry you."

He nodded slowly and I noticed for the first time that he was quite handsome – in the right setting. "Very well. I appreciate your willingness to at least consider my offer."

I nodded.

"Then," he added, "I will see you back in the courtroom." He bowed low and strode away with sunken shoulders. As I watched him go, I felt a tiny sting at remorse. He might have made a fine king. Perhaps even a fine husband. If Zidane truly were dead… I silenced my thoughts abruptly and rushed off toward the gardens to be alone.

When we returned to the courtroom, it seemed to take an unbearably long time for the judge to appear. When he did, at last, return to his podium, the room was deathly silent. I glanced over my shoulder and, through the large windows, could see across the channel where it appeared the entire kingdom of Alexandria was gathered to await to news they knew was coming. My heart swelled with something like pride to see them.

Finally the judge cleared his throat and straightened a small stack of papers on the podium in front of him. Then, folding his hands on top of these, he leaned forward and scanned the faces in the room. "Queen Garnet and Jerome Siticus, step forward if you will please."

We rose and rounded our separate tables in what almost looked like a dance, stopping in front of the judge as we stood shoulder to shoulder.

"I'm afraid, Lord Siticus, that I do not find substantial reasoning to replace Queen Garnet. These accusatory claims about her disappearance from Alexandria two years ago being of her own making cannot be proven and are, therefore, dismissed entirely. Furthermore, any such defamation of the Queen's honor from this moment forward shall be punishable by imprisonment.

"That is to say, of course, I find Queen Garnet to be the legal heiress to the throne of Alexandria and thus she shall remain." He smacked the gavel down with such prudent speed that my heart skipped at the sound of it. Siticus and I turned toward each other and shook hands. He seemed about to say something when the doors to the courtroom burst open.

A Burmecian messenger rushed into the room, looking exhausted. The guards blocked his path immediately but I waved them away as I rushed forward.

"Queen Garnet," he said earnestly. "There is a matter of much importance I must discuss with you in private."

"Let's go," I said, honoring his request, leading him away from the celebratory crowd.

We reached the castle in minutes and I had a meal prepared for the weary wanderer.

"You mustn't marry this young man," the messenger said after a long drink of water.

"What?" I was shocked he'd even heard of this, much less cared.

"Master Zidane asked me to deliver this message to you."

My heart sped. "Did you say… Zidane?"

"He's had an accident and was badly wounded, or he would have come in person. I was sent instead to get word to you that he survived. He asks…" Here the Burmecian shifted uneasily in his chair before continuing. "He asks that you do not marry a certain aristocrat. Zidane was adamant that someone be sent immediately and with great haste to implore you thus."

"Zidane," I repeated. I was trembling head to toe by this point.

"Are you alright?" the messenger asked at length, his black eyes full of deep concern that seemed to lessen his exhaustion.

I snapped alert and rose from my chair. "I must go to him. Immediately!"

At that moment, the doors swung open and Beatrix stepped through them, then off to one side, a knowing grin on her face.

"You don't have to," said a weak voice behind her. "I'm right here."

"Zidane!" I spun at the sound of his voice and rushed forward. He hunched painfully, supported on one side by Steiner who wore a dutiful face. Zidane looked up at him, nodded, and was reluctantly released. I saw him wince as the weight shifted back onto his own body and take a rolling step toward me.

I gathered him in my arms gently, so as not to hurt him further, though it was all I could do not to squeeze the very breath from him in my excitement. "I knew you were alive," I whimpered near his ear, hardly aware of the others' presence in the room. "I knew you wouldn't leave me."

"You didn't marry that pompous fool, did you?" he all but whispered. I laughed at the very idea, though not mockingly.

"Of course not! No, Zidane, I'll never marry anyone but you."

I caught Beatrix's raised eyebrow at that statement, and looked away. Two near-deaths for Zidane was enough to make me see what was truly important in this life. I would never again risk losing this precious gift.

Our reunion was relatively brief. A doctor was called and made haste to put Zidane in bed. I believe he drugged him with sleeping weed for, as I was at last allowed entrance to his chamber, his lids hung heavily over unfocused eyes. Even so, he found my hand when I rested it on the bed beside him.

"Try to get some rest," I implored him. "I'll still be here when you wake up. I promise."

It was hard to tell in the dark, but I think he smiled then. "My Dagger always keeps her promises," he muttered weakly.

I smiled at this.

"I remember now," he continued softly. "I remember everything. The fall must have done it."

"You mean..?"

He nodded, then winced at some unknown pain. "I thought I loved you before," he laughed quietly. "I didn't have a clue how deeply until it all came back. You're part of me. In my blood, my soul. There's no way around it. Even if you'd married that stupid-"

"I wouldn't have," I assured him firmly.

"Even if you had," he insisted, "I doubt I'd have been able to leave you in peace. Remember back when you were first coroneted? I almost let you go, then. I was afraid to even open my mouth around you, because I didn't think I could hold back my feelings. But now… There's just no way I could move on. I'd pester you, publicly if necessary, until you came back to me."

"Zidane…"

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love _you_," I assured him in return. "And… I've got something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Not now," I said. "You have to rest. I'll tell you in the morning."

"Not… fair…" his voice faded and he fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.


	18. Chapter 18

All the coaxing and pleading in the world couldn't have gotten me to leave Zidane's bedside that night. Falling asleep in the chair beside the bed, however, left me helpless when Steiner came in and carried me to my own bedroom just before dawn. I woke up feeling no different than I had for weeks – empty, soulless, alone.

It hit me all at once after lying there a moment. Zidane was back. I ripped the covers off me and darted to the door, throwing them open and flying down the hall. Seconds later, I flung open the second set of doors, these being to Zidane's room – and found it empty. Stunned and confused, I stood a moment, wondering if it had all been anything more than a dream. A wonderful, beautiful dream that would haunt me forever.

I hesitated there in the open doorway until a noise from upstairs startles me out of my reverie. Laughter coming from the kitchen. And above all the other voices, Zidane's rang out loud and true. I turned and sprinted back down the hallway, down the spiraling staircase, my feet pounding against the marble floor. I nearly slipped half a dozen times on its smooth surface, but eventually flew through the doorway into the kitchen. The wonderful smells of breakfast cooking hit me all at once, only enhancing the already perfect moment when Zidane's face turned to me.

He smiled, his aquamarine eyes glittering. He was still in poor shape, bruised and swollen, one lip split, but it didn't stop him from running to me, pulling me into his arms. We held each other for a long moment, so oblivious to anything else that when we finally pulled away, we realized that Quina and the other chefs had left us in private. We both chuckled a little as we glimpsed around the now empty kitchen, and then Zidane took both my hands in his.

"I…" He laugheds again, shaking his head. "I don't know what to say. Feels like I've been fighting to come back to you forever. Now that I'm here… What happens next, Dagger?"

I smiled at him, touched his face with my open hand. He leaned into it, closing his eyes and letting out a deep sigh.

"I don't know, Zidane. I only know that, whatever I do and wherever I go, I want you with me." I bow my head. "And if that means no longer being queen of Alexandria, then so be it."

He didn't answer and I'm almost afraid to meet his eyes.

"Garnet…"

"_Dagger_," I insisted. "I've thought a lot about this." I look up again and his expression is unreadable. "I've lost you twice now. I won't lose you again. Nothing else matters."

"That's not true, Garnet… Dagger. Before when I asked you to… to marry me… I wasn't thinking. At least, not about anybody but myself. This is your calling. Nobody else can do it."

I shook my head. "I haven't told anybody else yet, but… I've asked Uncle Artania to stand in as regent for me. He has accepted."

"What? When did you… For how long?"

"As long as I deem necessary. I can oversee things from abroad, return to Alexandria for important conferences. I don't have to relinquish my crown, and my… children will still be the heirs to the throne."

Zidane's smile returned. "Are you sure about this?"

"I've never been so certain of anything."

His eyes lit up and he took my hand again. "You mean, we could hop on an airship today and just… go?"

I nodded timidly. "If it's alright with you, I thought maybe we could revisit your suggestion of forming a two-person band of thieves. I believe you suggested calling it, _The Betrothed_."

"It's like Baku told me once. There's not much treasure left lying around this world… But I wouldn't mind spending my life looking for it, if it means getting to be with you."

I looked down, suddenly feeling bashful. "That's what I was hoping you'd say."

Zidane's hands came down gently on my shoulders and I lifted my face. When I met his eyes, he was looking at me with an expression that was both timid and intense – a look that told me all I needed to know. "You know, all my life I searched for a place to really call home. It wasn't until I met you that I realized, home isn't a place – it's a feeling."

"Zidane… I love you. Don't you ever leave me again."

He smiled and leaned his forehead against mine, then wrapped his arms around my shoulders. "I'll do my best."

All at once something dawned on me. "Zidane? What about the… the life extension? Did it work?"

He pulled away and his eyes growing distant for just a moment. "There's only one way to find out," he said at length. Then he smiled, a real and true smile. "But I think so. I can remember feeling… tired before the procedure. I don't feel that way now. The question is, are you willing to take the gamble on me? As far as anyone knows, I might just stop dead any minute."

"Zidane, stop. I can't bear the thought of it. The answer is, yes. I'll do whatever it takes to be with you, even if it means… losing you someday. I won't waste another second on regrets or hesitations. I want to live. With you."

"That settles it, then." He closed in on me again and brushed my cheek with the back of his hand. "So, where do you wanna go first?"

I chuckle, despite all the uncertainty. "I don't know," I admitted. "I hadn't really thought of a specific destination."

"Really?" He got a devilish look in his eyes all of a sudden and I could see his tail swatting back and forth in the air. "Then you won't mind if I choose our first stop?"

I shook my head, knowing full well where he was going with this. "Not at all."

Before I could blink he scooped me off my feet. I was shocked by his strength, despite his injuries, but he didn't so much as wince as he darted out of the room and back up the stairs with me. I clutched his neck tightly as we flew down the hall and through the double doors to my bedroom where he playfully tossed me down. I sat up in time to see him locking the doors behind us. Then he turned around and pounced up onto the bed beside me, pressing his lips tightly against mine.

It had been so long since I'd even allowed myself to dream about Zidane's touch, that there was a sort of newness to it. Certainly it was more intense than ever before. I kissed him back, burying my fingers in his hair as he tugged at the corseting at my back. His mouth moved over my jaw, down my neck to my chest as he slipped my blouse over my shoulders.

"I don't know how I would've lived without you," he whispered, sending a shiver through me. Then he let out a little moan and clutched at his side.

"What is it?"

"Just a bruise," he assured me.

Carefully, I pulled his shirt over his head and gasped when I saw the thing. The bruise went from his hip to his armpit, wrapping around his chest. "Is this where you fell?" I asked, touching it gingerly with just the tips of my fingers.

He nods. "Guess so. Must've passed out before I hit the ground."

"You should get some rest. This is a bad idea."

"No, no, no, no, no. This is a very _good _idea," he argued, kissing my neck again.

"Fine," I said, pushing him away. He looked like he could burst into tears, but I smile and shift around him, pushing him down on his back. "But you just take it easy," I said, crawling over him.

"I can do that," he said, sliding his hands down my body as I press against him.

A while later, we lay together in silence while the moonlight shines through the window, illuminating the room. Zidane's hand brushed absently against the small of my back.

"So… you never did give me a real answer." His voice came just as I was about to nod off.

"About what?"

"I just thought that, since you aren't really in the market for a kingly type of guy anymore… How'd you feel about marrying a lowly thief?"

I smiled, burying my face against his chest. "I was hoping you'd get around to asking me again. The answer's yes."

DAS ENDE

*****So there you have it, kiddies. That's the end of the story. I can't promise any sequels or continuations, but who knows? I might get laid off again and have nothing but time on my hands to write. Until then, thank you so much for reading and being so patient with me.*****


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